‘No. 1 pick to replace Lewis’: McLaren ‘in trouble’ as rumours swirl over Lando Norris defection

Formula One commentators believe McLaren should be seriously worried about losing star driver Lando Norris to a rival team.

McLaren was well off the pace in pre-season testing and had a nightmare start to 2023 at the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Monday morning (AEDT).

Engine failure meant rookie Australian driver Oscar Piastri was forced to retire, while Norris finished 17th, the last of the drivers who completed the race.

It was an unmitigated disaster for McLaren, who have become the laughing stock of the paddock after Norris had to have six pit stops in an attempt to fix mechanical issues.

It made Daniel Ricciardo’s year away from the grid look a whole lot better, and Norris confessed he’s missing the bubbly Aussie veteran.

“Do I miss Daniel? I miss Daniel,” he said during a Twitch live stream.

“Of course I miss him.”

The future looked bright for McLaren when they finished third in the constructors’ championship in 2020, but the former giant of F1 is at a crossroads after slipping down the standings in recent seasons.

Last year Norris signed a monster A$94 million deal with McLaren that will tie him to the team until the end of 2025.

McLaren said the contract doesn’t have an exit clause, meaning any team wanting to poach Norris would have to buy him out.

Sky Sports commentator Karun Chandhok believes if McLaren’s struggles continue, the top three teams on the grid — Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes — will come calling when a vacancy pops up.

“I tell you who will be thinking about a move to Ferrari or Red Bull though, is young Lando Norris,” Chandhok told the Sky Sports F1 podcast.

“Looking at where they’re (McLaren) at, and we were talking before the season of McLaren locking him in and Zak (Brown) doing an amazing job of contracting him in for that four-year period.

“I do wonder, and if they’re smart they would have created some sort of exit clauses.

“For example, 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?

“Because outside of the traditional top three teams, you’ve got Fernando (Alonso) and Lando who are your top two drivers on the grid aren’t they?

“And the fact he (Norris) is fighting to even get a car into Q3, there’s got to be a bit of frustration there I would imagine.”

Norris could leave McLaren as early as next season, given Lewis Hamilton’s contract expires at the end of this year and retirement could be on the cards for the seven-time world champion.

“His options are to go to Mercedes when Lewis Hamilton stops because George (Russell) isn’t going anywhere,” Chandhok told Autosport earlier this year.

“He can stay at McLaren I think until that happens basically. I think McLaren can safely hold onto him until that happens.

“But, let’s say we get to the end of this year and Lewis suddenly decides ‘I’ve had enough, I’m gone’.

“Then I feel like it’s going to be quite a complicated process because no doubt about it Lando has got to the number one pick, he’s got to be Mercedes’ number one pick to replace Lewis.”

Norris is only 23 years old but already in his sixth season with McLaren.

Long seen as one of the most talented drivers on the grid, he’s finished on the podium six times but it’s easy to forget he is yet to win an F1 race.

In 2021, the Brit has showed glimpses of his talent, finishing second behind Ricciardo at the Italian Grand Prix and leading the Russian Grand Prix before rain cruelled his hopes of a maiden F1 win.

McLaren is languishing at the back of the grid and plans to bring upgrades to their slow car at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in April, but a dire 2023 campaign could prompt Norris to look to greener pastures.

“McLaren, well … they’re struggling” former driver Jolyon Palmer said on F1 TV after the Bahrain Grand Prix.

“The pace was really poor for McLaren.

“Lando I thought was brilliant to get as close as he did to Q3 but he only got through into Q2 because he was the first driver to do the lap. It could have been both McLarens out in Q1.

“And then he gets into the top 10, he’s overtaken by Albon and then has Sargeant on debut in the Williams hassling him.

“I mean, this is a guy who’s had a pole, he’s been fighting for podiums and got one last year, he shouldn’t be fighting at the back so I feel a bit sad for Lando with the state that McLaren are in.”

“McLaren are in trouble. I think they’re looking forward to Baku when they could bring an upgrade packaging in terms of pace.”

Norris was diplomatic after the disaster in Bahrain but said upgrades to the car couldn’t come soon enough.

“If we want to be a top team, this is where we should have started the season with those kind of parts which are coming,” he said.

“But until then, we just do the best we can to make the most of what we have now. We remain optimistic that we can make progress later on in the season.”