Lando Norris: My F1 future depends on Fernando Alonso at McLaren
Lando Norris says the timing of his opportunity to make his Formula 1 debut with McLaren hinges on how long Fernando Alonso stays with the team
Norris, who will fulfil reserve driver duties for McLaren in F1 this year, won the European Formula 3 championship and will race in F2 for Carlin in 2018.
When asked if he was essentially waiting for Alonso to retire to move up into a race seat, Norris said: "Obviously from that, I would say so, but I couldn't really say what they are thinking.
"I guess you have to wait for what Fernando wants to do and I think they are happy with Stoffel [Vandoorne] and it is quite early in his career.
"Obviously he can develop a lot and definitely improve as a driver going into 2018.
"So it is a bit of it is waiting to see what they are going to do but I can't really say what else is going to happen - it is a bit hard for me."
Norris admitted he would have to look at opportunities elsewhere on the F1 grid if a vacancy at McLaren didn't come up - but he stressed his priority it to race for the British team.
"Obviously my aim is to be at McLaren," he said. "If I can't get a drive here, then I have to look at other opportunities.
"If they say 'We're not really going to have a drive [available] for three years' or something, then it is obvious that I am going to have to go elsewhere.
"But if it is just one year, I think I'll still stick with McLaren and deal with one year out.
"The aim is to be with McLaren."
Previous article
Behind the scenes of Red Bull's mission control
Next article
F1 replaces grid girls with 'grid kids' at all races for 2018 season
The other notable Monza escape that F1 should learn from
OPINION: The headlines were dominated by the Italian Grand Prix crash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who had the halo to thank for avoiding potentially serious injury. But two days earlier, Formula 1 had a lucky escape with a Monza pitlane incident that could also have had grave consequences
How Monza only added more questions to F1's sprint race conundrum
With two sprint races under its belt, Formula 1 must now consider its options for them going forward. While they've helped deliver exciting racing on Sundays, the sprints themselves have been somewhat lacking - creating yet another conundrum for F1 to solve...
Who should Alfa Romeo sign for 2022's F1 season?
OPINION: With Valtteri Bottas already signed up for 2022, all eyes are on the race for the second seat at Alfa Romeo next year. Antonio Giovinazzi is the current incumbent, but faces a tough competition from appealing short and long-term prospects
The "forced break" that was key to Ricciardo's Monza excellence
OPINION: Daniel Ricciardo has long been considered one of Formula 1’s elite drivers. But his struggles at McLaren since switching from Renault for 2021 have been painful to watch at times. Yet he’s recovered to banish those memories with a famous Monza win – built on a critically important foundation
How Verstappen is ruining his F1 title battle with Hamilton
OPINION: The Italian GP clash between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen followed a running theme in the 2021 Formula 1 title fight. Their close-quarters battles have often resulted in contact - and although Hamilton has shown a willingness to back off, Verstappen must learn to temper his aggression
Italian Grand Prix Driver Ratings
Two drivers produced maximum-score performances as, for the second year in a row, Monza threw up an unpredictable result that left several others ruing what might have been
Why Ricciardo was set for Monza F1 triumph even without Verstappen/Hamilton crash
The clash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton was the major flashpoint the 2021 Italian Grand Prix will be remembered for. Yet by this point, race leader Daniel Ricciardo had already done the hard work that would put him in position to end his and McLaren's lengthy win droughts, on a memorable afternoon in Monza
Why Italian GP success is on for McLaren even if Verstappen dominates
For the second time in 2021, McLaren will line up for the start of a grand prix from the first row. It knows it has the chance of “glory” if things go well for Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris at the start of the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, but even if they just maintain their grid positions, signs from the rest of the Monza weekend suggest success is very possible for Formula 1’s other orange army
