5 Years After Rejecting Red Bull, “Super Talented” Lando Norris Made Aware of McLaren’s Painful Future Struggles

Lando Norris is regarded as one of the most talented drivers on the grid, especially among the next-generation drivers. The Brit graduated to the premier class in 2019, fresh off of his F2 championship title. The Brit hasn’t disappointed and has stood by the reputation that preceded him throughout his time at McLaren so far. However, it’s McLaren’s gloomy present and future, painted by a former world champion, the obstacle in Norris’s career. Now we wonder if the Brit would’ve been better off joining Red Bull.

The Brit flirted with the idea of signing with Red Bull in 2021. However, the seat went to Sergio Perez and Norris eventually signed a long-term contract. This was the second time the Red Bull family doors opened for the Brit as he was being scouted during his 2018 F2 season for then-Toro Rosso. The McLaren academy driver eventually joined the Woking outfit and he’ll be there till the end of the 2025 season. This is exactly the amount of time it will take McLaren to bring out true performance from their car, according to Mika Hakkinen.

The tw0-time world champion gave his two cents on his former team in an interview with Unibet International. He said, “I don’t think McLaren has very high expectations this year. McLaren have their support. But the team knows they aren’t quite there yet. The results need a couple more years. There might be some results this year but I think the true performance will be seen in a couple of years.”

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The Finn painted a very gloomy picture of McLaren’s next two years. However, apart from the gloomy picture, Finn put a lot of faith in “super talented” Norris and his abilities behind the car.

Mika Hakkinen puts Lando Norris on the same level as Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc

The Brit is a super-talented driver and there is no doubt in his abilities. The Brit has showcased that on multiple occasions and in various different scenarios and vehicles. Mika Hakkinen became the latest to attest to this fact.

Discussing Norris, he said, “A very quick young driver. He’s achieved a lot. Or rather he’s shown convincing results constantly. He’s super talented. No question about it. He’s on the same level as Leclerc, Verstappen, and Sainz. He’s on a very high-level speed-wise. Lando is currently the number one driver at McLaren.”

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Huge compliments for the brit. However, the real question is will he be able to showcase these qualities in this sinking McLaren ship?