Lando Norris’ Austrian GP Participation Under Threat as Spanish GP Illness Gets Worse

Lando Norris might have to call in sick at the Austrian GP this weekend. The McLaren racer has reportedly taken ill. This news has come just before the F1 circus is set to begin racing at the Red Bull Ring. Last weekend, in Spain, Lando was coughing too much. Now, F1 photographer Kym Illman has revealed on his X handle on Thursday, June 27 that Lando Norris is sick.

Before his illness, it had looked like the McLaren driver could win the race in Spain, but Max Verstappen defeated him. Dissatisfied with his P2 finish at the Circuit de Barcelona, Lando even said he ‘should have won’. Thus, all of F1 town is now expecting the 24-year-old to go for the victory at the upcoming Austrian GP. However, it looks like he will have to miss the race entirely.

Following the Qualifying Session for the Spanish GP, Lando already looked unwell at the post-Quali press conference. In fact, his frequent coughing made his fellow F1 racer Lewis Hamilton shift away from him. But Lando Norris did not give an update on his health later on. Today, Kym Illman has announced he is seriously ill. The Australian wrote on his X page, “[Lando] appears to be suffering from perhaps a cold or flu.”

If Lando Norris does not recover before going out on the tracks on Sunday, it might cost him the #2 place in the World Championship standings. On the other hand, the last time Lando had been sick from a nose injury (that he got in the Netherlands), he ended up winning the Miami GP. Does this mean another race win is on the cards for the McLaren prodigy this weekend?

Does ill health spell out victory for Lando Norris in Austria?

To date, Lando Norris’s resounding win at the Miami GP remains his only Grand Prix victory. However, just before the race, the Belgian-British prodigy had had a nose injury. This occurred because, while partying in the Netherlands, Lando had suffered a blow to his nose. His fans had declared the nose injury was the secret to Norris finally breaking his streak of getting the maximum podiums without scoring a Grand Prix win.

Now that Lando Norris has fallen ill once again, this might mean an Austrian GP win is on the horizon. With his second-place finish against Charles Leclerc‘s P5 at the Spanish GP last week, Lando has officially become Verstappen’s closest Championship rival. If he attains victory at the Red Bull Ring this weekend, he will be able to cement his name to the second step of the drivers’ standings firmly.

Now, Lando Norris only needs to get back on his feet and win in Red Bull’s home ground. This will shatter Charles Leclerc’s stance in the current Championship. The Monegasque has already lost his second position on the charts to the McLaren driver after Spain. He let his frustration out at being beaten by taking a dig at his teammate Carlos Sainz. If Leclerc gets defeated once again, his gap to Norris will increase, making the Belgian-British racer a 2024 front-runner.

Do you think the young papaya army star will win once again in Austria? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below.