Max Verstappen Stands Up for Lando Norris as Things Go Down South for McLaren

There aren’t many people Max Verstappen considers friends in the Formula One paddock. Yet when the two-time champion does refer to somebody as his pal, it’s clear that the individual might be exceptionally special. Lando Norris is the person we’re referring to as recently following the double DNF of Mclaren at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Max Verstappen was seen praising the Young Briton’s role at McLaren.

The Bahrain GP results were sufficient to adequately warn Max Verstappen’s rival that his new vehicle was even better than the RB18 he drove last season. Meanwhile, Norris, who is currently in his fifth year with McLaren, is still searching for his first race win. Yet before the race at Sakhir Circuit, it was anticipated that the Woking-based teams would engage in a fierce battle with the midfield teams, but they fell short of the standards.

Over the years. Norris has earned six podiums finishes and has displayed incredible talent on the F1 tracks. However, his initial days went quite overwhelming, and pointing that out Verstappen claims the 23-year-old has developed over time. As Per NextGen Auto, the Dutchman said, “Lando knows what he is doing, and that’s a good thing for McLaren. When he first joined Formula 1, he was a bit overwhelmed. Lando can be a bit shy but he’s a super nice guy and you can see, from the first year to now, how he’s grown as a person, and that helps his performance because he’s more confident.”

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Things haven’t gone well for McLaren since 2020. And now that Bahrain GP has shattered expectations, the Woking-based company’s future is looking bleak. In light of these circumstances, an ex-F1 driver has asserted that Lando Norris may search for two new F1 teams.

Lando Norris might look for different options following the Bahrain GP upset

Following a third-place finish in the constructor’s championship in 2020, McLaren has only slipped. Even last year, Alpine, the team’s midfield rival, defeated them. Moreover, Zak Brown confirmed that the team had fallen short of its development goals for the new MCL60 car for this season. In addition, Oscar Piastri’s electronic failure at the Bahrain GP indicates that the team is in serious peril. If the scenario continues as it is, it will undoubtedly be difficult to hold back Norris, who recently signed a new contract with the team squad through the end of 2025.

Considering this, Karun Chandhok believes Norris may have begun searching for options as a result of the Bahrain race. The Indian even offered two choices. Chandhok stated while speaking on the Skysports podcast, ” I tell you who will be thinking about a move to Ferrari or Red Bull though, is young Lando Norris. Looking at where [McLaren] are at  and we were talking before the season of McLaren locking him in and Zak doing an amazing job of contracting him in for that four-year period – I do wonder.”

While poking a serious question the Indian driver said, “For example, if 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?”

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Lando Norris is an extremely talented driver, and the way Mclaren has handled him during all these years should be appreciated. However, the Briton still is waiting to get a fast car in which he can get his first Grand Prix victory. Do you think the 23-year-old will get his first GP win in season 2023?