“He Might Go to…”: As Frustration Continues to Pile Up With McLaren, Lando Norris Touted to Join F1 Rivals

No driver joins F1 without aiming to win a championship. And Lando Norris is no different. Back when McLaren gave him the official call-up in 2019, that season for the team was an upward trajectory in its aim to fight at the front of the field again. And with Carlos Sainz alongside Norris, McLaren continued its climb in the 2020 season, finishing third in the Constructors’ Championship. But that’s where the rise stalled. And with it, Norris’ hopes for a title with the Papaya team did too.

Considering its performances in the past two seasons, it’s hard to believe the Woking-based team is one of the most successful in F1 history. Its promise to get back to winning ways—with Norris in the seat—is what has kept Lando hopeful. But the frustration for Norris only seems to be piling up race after race, with lackluster results due to the car not being competitive. And before McLaren realizes it, it might just be that Lando has had enough and would want to move to a better team.

Lando Norris might consider a move to Alpine

In a conversation about Norris with Motorsport Week, veteran F1 reporter Peter Windsor said he thinks “there’s half a chance he might go to Alpine.” But what would propel him to consider a seat at Alpine, McLaren’s rivals? 

The French team currently houses two French drivers, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon. While Gasly is still warming up to the team (and car), Ocon has achieved some phenomenal results in that team, including his maiden win at the 2021 Hungarian GP. Most recently, he finished third at the Monaco GP, another great result. Alpine is on an upward trajectory with the two of them, and by the end of the season, it might be competing for at least P3 in the Championship. Considering the upward trajectory of Alpine, the prospect of him moving there seems appealing. 

But Norris’ contract at McLaren ends in 2025, and if the team hasn’t made a convincing step in the right direction by then, he wouldn’t want to stick around any longer. And there might be open seats with the French outfit with Ocon’s contract ending in 2024 and Gasly’s likely to end then, too. Windsor thinks, “There seems to be a lot of muscle behind that team [Alpine]. And wouldn’t that be an interesting swap?”

Read More: After Failing to “Hold On for Dear Life” Lando Norris Employs Most Painful Career Experience to Deal With Setback

It would indeed be an interesting swap. But would Lando want to shift to another midfield team? At the end of 2025, he’ll have finished his seventh season in F1. And given the problems McLaren has been facing the past few years—struggling to even fight in the midfield, let alone at the front of it—a championship or even a race win seems tough to imagine in the next couple of years. Red Bull has shown interest in Norris before, so is a shift to the Milton Keynes team in the cards for him?

Will Red Bull make Norris its second driver?

Lando Norris has had some exceptional performances in his four years in the sport. He is undoubtedly a generational talent and will be a championship contender, given the right machinery. But while no driver joins F1 without aiming to win a championship, they also don’t join F1 to be a second driver. Is that what Norris will be if he joins Red Bull? A second driver to Max Verstappen?

Windsor thinks that’s a highly probable outcome if Norris joins Red Bull. If that happens, “the trouble would start because how’s he going to beat Max Verstappen, and then what does Lando Norris become? Does he become just a really good number two or what?” While Windsor seems to believe Lando might be second-fiddle to Max and won’t be able to beat him, the Briton has shown on multiple occasions that he can drive that McLaren to results it has no place being in. In 2022, he was the only driver outside Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes to achieve a podium, courtesy of his P3 finish in Imola.

Watch This Story: How Lando Norris Had a Chance to Go to Red Bull But Instead Chose McLaren

If Lando gets offers from Red Bull and Alpine, which team will he choose? Or could he put his faith in McLaren once more and decide to stay?