McLaren’s highly rated young reserve Lando Norris has his sights firmly set on Formula 1 and for now is happy to wait his chance in the team, but if nothing comes his way in terms of a place on the grid he will look elsewhere for opportunities.
Norris explained how his future depends on what the team’s star driver Fernando Alonso will do with his career, “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.”
When asked if he was, in essence, waiting for Alonso to retire to get promoted to a race seat, Norris said,”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.”
“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,” reiterated Norris who will mix his reserve role with a season in Formula 2 with Carlin in 2018.