With $17,000,000,000 Giant Lurking, Lando Norris Tipped to Beat Carlos Sainz’s Nepotistic Connections for No.1 Spot

Few things can rival the excitement of watching Formula 1 cars race each other. For F1 fans, that is. One of those things is the prospect of drivers changing teams and everything else that comes with it. Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari? How will that play out? Charles Leclerc to Mercedes? Who’ll come out on top, him or George Russell? Lando Norris to Red Bull? While the first two situations were pure speculation, Norris’ prospects of a Red Bull switch aren’t all up in the air. The Milton-Keynes team has shown quite some interest in the young Brit and feels he’ll be a perfect fit there. The thing is, he’s devoted to McLaren. Or is he?

What Ferrari is to Leclerc, McLaren is to Norris. It’s the team he wants to win championships with. At least that’s what he says. The 23-year-old is contracted to McLaren until the end of 2025, but after that, he’s a free agent (unless McLaren renews his contract or Red Bull steals him). As fun as partnering his best friend, Max Verstappen, at Red Bull may seem, he could also go a different route, one closer to his other best friend, Carlos Sainz.

Lando Norris may not be at McLaren in 2026

Carlos Sainz has a contract with Ferrari until 2024. However, his future there isn’t quite as certain as Leclerc’s. So, it would make sense for him to keep his options open. One of those options is Audi. The $17 billion German manufacturer bought a stake in Sauber (which races under the Alfa Romeo name) and will become Sauber’s works team in 2026. That’s also the year F1’s new regulations with more electrification come into play. Sainz may have an upper hand on getting a seat there. How? Because his father, two-time rally champion Carlos Sainz Sr., drives for Audi in the Dakar Rally series.

Sainz Sr. has close connections with the team and its F1 program. With that connection, Sainz Jr. has a nepotistic link to the team. Turns out, not only could Norris pip him to Audi, but he could also become the No.1 driver. Here’s the Norris situation. Whenever speculations about Norris moving to Red Bull have come up, he’s said he’s committed to McLaren for the next two-and-a-half years. He’s more focused on his short-term plans. Is he hinting at something there? F1 veteran Peter Windsor hopes he is. 

In a YouTube livestream on his channel, Windsor said, “Lando, I can imagine wanting to leave McLaren the way it is with Oscar [Piastri]. I can imagine Lando isn’t going to want to stay at McLaren forever.” With how well Piastri has been doing, Norris’ status at McLaren is being challenged. Windsor feels Piastri will be the main man going forward. He added, “If Audi were on the phone, and I was Lando Norris, and Audi said to me: ‘Number one driver, ’26 onwards, Audi factory team, may not be brilliant [in] ’26, but we know what we’re doing. We’ve done a massive amount of electrification in not only World Endurance but also rallies, and we’ve got serious people, and this is Audi.’ Could you say no to that?”

Read More: ‘Only Ferrari Can Beat Red Bull’: Carlos Sainz Snubs Lando Norris & Co. to Make a Bold Claim

As much as Norris would want McLaren to be his home, Windsor believes Audi would be a better option. Another added benefit of joining Audi? A possible reunion with his bestie, Sainz.

A Carlando partnership at Audi in 2026?

When Norris made his way into F1 in 2019, Carlos Sainz was waiting for him at McLaren. For two seasons, the Woking team gave them the opportunity to grow together, and Norris even learned quite a few things from Sainz. Apart from fierce competitors, they became really good friends. While Norris did edge out Sainz in some races, he couldn’t do it consistently. But he might get a few more chances to achieve what he never did at McLaren—beat Sainz over a season.

According to Auto Action, “Carlos Sainz has taken the first step to leave Ferrari at the end of his current contract by signing a pre-contract with Audi, as the German manufacturer is gradually taking control of the Sauber team (now Alfa Romeo) before becoming a full-fledged works team from the start of 2026.” If the speculations about Sainz’s shift to Audi are anything to go by, Norris can be rest assured that if the Audi option comes up, the team will be built around him. Even though Sainz may have the nepotistic connection, there’s no hiding that he’d be 32 in 2026. There’s no way Audi would favor him over a 26-year-old Norris. 

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

Do you believe Lando Norris would leave McLaren? And is the Woking team really looking to make Oscar Piastri its No.1? If that does happen, is Audi Norris’ best chance at a team built around him?