Lando Norris believes he ‘deserves’ to be amongst the frontrunners fighting for victories, with the McLaren star having claimed that he can “do the same” as the likes of George Russell and Charles Leclerc.
Since breaking onto the Formula 1 scene in 2019, Norris has been a consistent points finisher and more often than not ‘best of the rest’, with the 23-year-old having been the best midfield driver.
2021 in particular was an exceptional year for Norris, with the British driver having found himself amongst the podium places on a consistent basis.
Despite driving for a midfield side, he claimed four podiums in 2021 and came agonisingly close to winning the Russian Grand Prix.
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A late decision to remain on slicks instead of switch to intermediates saw Lewis Hamilton snatch victory from his fellow Brit, who’d actually kept the Mercedes driver behind him superbly.
Given that he has claimed six podiums for a midfield side across the last four years, many have wondered what he’d be capable of should he get a dream move to a frontrunning team, for example, Red Bull.
Red Bull are known to have held talks with the McLaren driver before, with future talks more than likely.
Norris is an exceptional talent who has beaten the vast majority of the younger drivers on the grid during his junior career, further highlighting why he perhaps feels like he should be “in that battle”.
Unless McLaren perform a miracle anytime soon, though, it’s unlikely that he’ll be fighting the frontrunning drivers on a consistent basis, with the Woking-based team having finished fifth last season.
Norris’ best chance to fight for victories and the championship will likely come in 2026, should he choose to leave McLaren once his lucrative contract expires at the end of 2025.
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“I wish I was there with them,” said Norris to Motorsport.com.
“Of course, I wish I was in that battle. I feel like I deserve to be in that battle. I feel like I can be, and I think it will be a great battle.
“But it’s just not the position that I’m in at the minute… I can race against them in the future, and I can do the same as what they’re doing.”