Since making his F1 debut in 2019, Lando Norris has gone on to become one of the most popular & talented drivers in the sport. He has been McLaren’s lead driver over the last two years, despite being just 23 years old.
Norris is not just a fan favorite but popular among his peers and co-workers as well. Ahead of the Japanese GP in Suzuka last year, Norris like all other drivers took part in the drivers’ parade ahead of the start of the race. After the parade was over, Norris left his car and was heading over to the McLaren garage to suit up and get ready for the race.
At that moment, the driver of Norris’ parade car asked him to stay back and sign on the car! Norris happily complied. It surely made the day of the man, who probably hasn’t washed his car till date!
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McLaren boss lauds Lando Norris as team’s ‘franchise driver’
Norris has spent the entirety of his F1 career as a driver for the McLaren F1 team. Even before making his debut, he was part of their academy and put in hours in the simulator to contribute to their on-track success.
Of course, Norris is yet to win a race with the Woking-based squad, but that is mainly due to the British team not providing him with a strong car. The 23-year-old has six podium finishes to his name, but will be hoping that he gets a shot at wins and titles in the near future.
Team CEO Zak Brown, however, compared Norris to the likes of Fernando Alonso & Lewis Hamilton, and labeled him as a franchise driver.
“Lando’s a franchise driver,” he said to ESPN. “Lando’s one of those guys if we put everyone in a dirt buggy and we put all the F1 drivers in a race, he’d be at the front because he’s got that kind of natural talent.
Will Norris leave McLaren before 2025?
Norris has insisted that he is very happy at McLaren, a team where he is familiar with and close to everybody. However, their poor performances in 2022 and losing out to Alpine in the battle for P4 may put doubts in Norris’ head.
His current deal with the team from Surrey runs until 2025, but there are top teams like Ferrari and Red Bull who are reportedly interested in securing the services of the young talented Brit. If McLaren want to keep Norris, they have to up their game starting 2023 onwards.
