McLaren CEO Open to Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo Competing in Other Championships Outside F1

On rare occasions, F1 drivers dabble in other racing series in one-off appearances. Notable examples are Fernando Alonso and his quest for the Triple Crown, and Nico Hulkenberg when he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Now, McLaren CEO Zak Brown has green lit potential wildcard entries for Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris for a future Bathurst 1000 race.

From 2021, Ricciardo will partner Norris in the wake of Ferrari recruiting Carlos Sainz. The American admitted that his drivers have the freedom to compete in other events, though everything depends on how the F1 schedule pans out.

Back In 2017, Brown allowed Fernando Alonso to skip the Monaco Grand Prix and contest the Indianapolis 500. The Spaniard is still on the hunt for the elusive Triple crown, which only Graham Hill has won.

However, in the V8 Supercars championship, the Bathurst 1000 is a prestigious event. Norris already has some experience at the iconic circuit, having raced in a number of Supercars All Stars Eseries events. Even he was excited about racing at Bathurst for real and not in front of a computer screen.

Lando Norris is eager to get behind the wheel

Speaking about a potential race in the V8 Supercars championship, Norris said: “100 per cent. In fact, Zak Brown has one. We went to a track day once a couple of years ago. I didn’t get to drive it there but he says he’s allowing me to drive it if we ever go out on a track day again in his V8.”

“I would love to, especially because it’s so fun to drive on the simulator. I’m sure it’s even better to drive on the actual race track. It’s a handful, but in a good way. It’s a lot of fun to drive.”

This is partially possible because Brown co-owns the Walkinshaw Andretti United team. When speaking to Supercars Sidetracked, Brown believed that both drivers would love to take up the challenge.

For the uninitiated, the Bathurst 1000 is normally contested during the second weekend of October. It would also be a dream come true for Daniel Ricciardo, an Australian native, to race at an iconic Australian venue.