Now entering his 6th FIA Formula 1 season, Lando Norris, one of two McLaren Racing Limited drivers, has undoubtedly become one of the strongest contenders in the 20-car field. He has steadily improved on previous performances almost every year, adding podiums and points with each passing season. Last season’s campaign was Lando’s best so far, securing 205 World Driver’s Championship points, earning him 6th position in the final rankings. How will the British driver fare this season though? The world will be watching as he and McLaren look to next season to attempt to push the boundaries of their partnership further and bring back the team glory McLaren so often found in decades prior.
Lando Norris has been the number-one driver at McLaren Racing for quite a while now. Driving for the team from the young age of 19, he was just the third youngest driver in the competition’s history when he made his debut in the 2019 Australian Grand Prix. The now 24-year-old has already put in many years behind the wheel, often racing with the maturity of a driver far beyond his age. His confident and aggressive driving style coupled with his racing maturity make for a remarkably skillful racer capable of pulling off seemingly impossible overtakes and impressively unexpected racing and qualifying results.
McLaren Racing Limited has been a staple team in Formula 1 for almost 60 years. They are one of the oldest active teams, participating in every iteration of the competition since 1966. They have always been a team that creates a culture and expectation of winning. However, throughout the past two decades, they have experienced very little of this, both on the team and individual side of the racing outfit. They have been rebranded throughout this time as the “best of the rest”, always falling short of the top 2-3 teams and (mostly) beating out the rest of the competition. Lando Norris is a driver who McLaren hopes can take them past this 20-year lull.
The British racer has the complete capability to beat out every other driver on the track if given the right machinery for the job. Unfortunately, for both Lando Norris and McLaren, within the world of Formula 1, it isn’t enough to be one of the most skillful drivers in the pack. The right equipment is necessary to be among the top contenders. Throughout the time that Lando has been driving for McLaren, they have been unable to provide him with a vehicle that would have the capabilities to, across the course of an entire season, invariably finish in the podium places.
Consistency is always key in any long-term competition, and this is something that McLaren has struggled with long before Lando took his seat behind the wheel. For Lando to be able to grow in the world of Formula 1 with McLaren, the vehicle manufacturer has to be able to provide him with a real contender – a car that can push both Lando and the team to new heights. If given that, Lando Norris has very real World Championship potential.
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