Lando Norris Puts Miami GP in Jeopardy, Will Pato O’Ward Take His Spot?

King’s Day, or Koningsdag, is a Dutch national holiday celebrated annually since 1885 to commemorate the birthday of the reigning monarch and this year, Lando Norris decided to join the celebrations. The current King of the Netherlands is Willem Alexander, born on April 27, 1967; hence, King’s Day falls on this date each year. During the downtime after the Chinese Grand Prix, the McLaren driver decided to join his friend Martin Garrix in the celebration.

For this, the two were partying on a boat with a drink in their hand while grooving to the music played by the famous DJ. This was captured in several posts on Instagram and Twitter, where the two are enjoying the Koningsdag on a boat full of people. There was soon an update on Lando Norris at the party, where a picture of his face being bandaged up surfaced online. Upon seeing this picture, many have started to wonder if he will be able to drive at the Miami Grand Prix. If not, who will take his spot?

Pato O’Ward: The McLaren Reserve Driver

From the images that have surfaced online, the accident looks quite gnarly, with his face being bandaged mummy-style, covering his nose. There are also drips of blood from what looks like a broken nose on his McLaren orange sweatshirt. Looking at his condition, it’s fair to wonder if he will be able to drive in Miami. But what’s still unknown is how he got injured and what the severity of the injury was.

Depending on how bad the damage is, the team and Norris will decide if he is fit to race. That being said, under the circumstance that he is unable to race, McLaren already has a reserve driver ready. Patricio “Pato” O’Ward Junco is a driver who normally competes in the IndyCar series, and he is also the 2018 Indy Lights Champion. He is yet another skilled driver on the radar of Zak Brown, and after he proved himself in IndyCar, he was given the reserve driver position at McLaren.

Before being affiliated with McLaren, he also tried his luck on the Red Bull Junior team, where he was given a one-time shot to compete at the Red Bull Ring in Formula 2. He is currently the test driver for McLaren, with him getting a chance behind an F1 car in 2023 during the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix free practice session. With this, we know that he is a qualified driver to be in an F1 car, and if Zak Brown thinks Norris needs rest, O’Ward will be his only option.

But the real question is: will Lando Norris skip a race over a face injury?

Lando Norris: The power of Carlando

Formula 1 drivers are just built differently, and Carlos Sainz, Norris’ former teammate, proved it recently during the Australian Grand Prix. During Sainz’s time at McLaren, the two drivers shared a strong bond, and this was maintained after the Spaniard moved to Ferrari. Carlos Sainz had to sit out the Bahrain Grand Prix to get surgery, however, Sainz was found inside the cockpit of the SF24 the next weekend, which led him to win the race in Melbourne. his appendix was removed. However, Sainz was found inside the cockpit of the SF24 the next weekend, which led him to win the race in Melbourne.

Will Lando Norris perform such an act? Everyone hopes so. If the Smooth Operator could recover from surgery within a week, the younger Norris would be able to do so too. In the end, it all depends on the health condition of the driver. But everyone in the F1 community hopes to see him race and not miss out on points, as McLaren is doing fantastic this season. If he pulls off a Sainz and wins a race right after an injury, it will be a moment that F1 fans will remember forever.

That being said, do you think Lando Norris will be fine to race at the Miami Grand Prix? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.