Lando Norris has time and time again proved that he is one of the most talented drivers on the F1 grid, with last season’s best of the rest driver also being the only driver outside of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull to stand on the podium.
Even though the likes of Red Bull have shown a strong interest in Norris, the Brit has repeatedly put his faith in McLaren, the team that brought him into F1 in 2019.
The 23-year-old has ambitions to become a championship winning driver and while McLaren do not have the ability to win titles right now, they are certainly on the pathway to return to winning ways.
A new state-of-the-art wind tunnel facility is set to become operational this year and McLaren’s long-term project has tempted Norris to commit his future to the team, with his current contract running until the end of 2025.
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The Woking based team have started 2023 horribly however, with both cars being forced to retire from the Bahrain Grand Prix with mechanical issues.
The MCL60 also looks significantly off the pace, with neither Norris nor his teammate Oscar Piastri being able to get into Q3 during the season opener.
Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle has suggested that Norris will be alarmed by this backwards step, tipping the Brit to leave McLaren is he does not see quick progress.
“If you look at how it’s been going it looks like it’s actually fading and that’s a great concern in that respect,” he said.
“If he’s got a performance clause in there… I don’t see Lando going anywhere as a number two. Contracts don’t say that anyway but even if he were to be perceived that way he would soon change that with his speed.
“He will need to see some light at the end of a much shorter tunnel than he’s got now in terms of where it’s all heading otherwise he will start getting frustrated. He won’t be any use to the team.
“I could see Lando dropping into Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes as a more easy fit than what on earth does Lewis do from here?
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“I could see Lando being able to drive for the other three teams, or Aston Martin for that matter, if they become championship contenders. On the face of it, it was odd to sign such a long deal at his age.”
Norris was surprisingly optimistic about McLaren’s Bahrain struggles, claiming that the team can take positives from the fact that he was on track for points before his pneumatic issues.
With the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix fast approaching, McLaren will be hoping for a quick bounce back performance from their drivers.