Lando Norris was the standout driver outside of the top three teams in 2022, being the only driver that was not in a Red Bull, Ferrari or Mercedes to score a podium.
The Brit continues to improve year after year and has been tipped to become a future world champion, should he be given a car capable of winning races.
It looked as if Norris was set to pick up his first race win at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix, but a miscommunication between himself and his team saw the driver stay out on an increasingly wet track on slick tyres, allowing Lewis Hamilton to easily pass him on the intermediates as he struggled to stay on the track.
McLaren’s faith in their young driver is evident, as they have handed the 23-year-old a long-term contract that will see him stay with the team until 2025 season, a very long contract compared to the normal one or two year deals that are often handed out in F1.
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Despite his undoubted talent on track, McLaren CEO Zak Brown has revealed that his superstar driver does have some issues away from the track which are beginning to frustrate the American.
“What frustrates me about Lando? He’s been five minutes late more than once,” he told British GQ.
“If we’re supposed to meet at 8:00, it might be 8:07. The great thing about him is he is very honest and owns everything. And he’s definitely improved.
“I think as long as we can get him a car, he’ll be a world champion.”
While McLaren continue to improve, Brown has admitted that it could take a couple more years until McLaren are able to challenge for championships, as the teams new state-of-the-art wind tunnel facility is only set to become operational later this year.
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Norris has echoed these thoughts, suggesting that he may have to be patient with McLaren in his hunt for championship glory.
“With everything I’ve learned, maybe I could win a race [this year], but I’m unlikely to win a championship until possibly that time [2024 or 2025],” he told GQ.
McLaren will hope that they are able to give Norris the car he requires in the near future, as the Brit has been heavily linked to a move to Red Bull to replace Sergio Perez at the end of the 2024 season, should he not be happy with his current team’s progress.