With seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton yet to sign a new contract with Mercedes, the Silver Arrows have been urged by Express Sport readers to sign Lando Norris as his replacement, rather than Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Contract speculation has certainly been a talking point in the early stages of the 2023 F1 season, largely due to the fact that Hamilton is yet to sign a new deal with Mercedes, despite his current deal expiring this year.
A contract was expected to be signed before the season commenced in Bahrain; however, Hamilton recently assured fans at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that talks are taking place between himself and the team.
Whilst a new deal hasn’t yet been signed, the likelihood is that Hamilton will remain at Mercedes until at least the end of 2025, after reportedly wanting a multi-year extension.
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If something crazy were to happen, though, like Hamilton deciding to move to Ferrari, then a poll by Express Sport has shown that fans believe Mercedes should pursue Norris.
63-percent of the voters believe Norris is the best option for Mercedes should Hamilton leave, with ex-F1 driver Karun Chandhok also believing that the McLaren star should be the Germans “number one pick”.
The Sky Sports F1 pundit believes Norris’ current contract with McLaren could be an issue, though, with the Briton being tied down to a lucrative deal that doesn’t expire until the end of 2025.
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“Looking at where they’re [McLaren] at, and we were talking before the season of McLaren locking him in and Zak [Brown] doing an amazing job of contracting him in for that four-year period,” Chandhok said.
“I do wonder, and if they’re smart they would have created some sort of exit clauses. For example, McLaren don’t finish in the top four of the constructors’ championship two years in a row, is there an option for Lando to look elsewhere? Because outside of the traditional top three teams, you’ve got Fernando [Alonso] and Lando who are your top two drivers on the grid aren’t they?”
Should Hamilton decide to leave Mercedes, then 42-percent of voters believe Ferrari would be the best destination for the 38-year-old, instead of Aston Martin or Red Bull.