Photo: McLaren
After Carlos Sainz Jr. was confirmed as the replacement for Fernando Alonso for the 2019 Formula 1 season, McLaren broke out the news that Stoffel Vandoorne is out of the game. In the Belgian driver’s place, 18-year-old Lando Norris will race for the Woking-based team, from the 2019 Australian Grand Prix in March onward.
There are two sides to this story, so let’s get cracking already! First of all, the future of Vandoorne in Formula 1 is not exactly bright. But even if another team signs the 26-year-old driver for 2019, there’s no denying Stoffel was brought in at McLaren at a time of utter disappointment.
First of all, McLaren hasn’t been up to the job ever since Honda and subsequently Renault replaced Mercedes as the supplier of the hybrid power unit. Then there are the underperforming chassis, aerodynamic, reliability, qualifying and race setups, which didn’t help Stoffel either. Last, but certainly not least, many people who work for McLaren aren’t happy with how the team carries itself in this day and age.
From overall champion in the GP2 Series, Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, and F4 Eurocup 1.4, the Belgian finished the 2016 and 2017 seasons at McLaren in Formula 1 on 20th and 16th, respectively. There’s no mistaking Stoffel would’ve been a challenger in the midfield if the car were better, but as it is, McLaren made a hash out of it.
“While we haven’t achieved the success we’d all hoped for, I’ve really enjoyed the past two seasons racing for McLaren and I have a great relationship with everyone in the team,” declared Vandoorne. “I intend to give it my all for the remaining seven races of this season, and will announce my plans for next season in due course.”
And now, time to talk about Lando Norris. With five titles under his belt and a possible sixth in the making, the Brit has a lot of promise going for him, based on results alone. And in earnest, McLaren might be thinking about “raising” Norris as the next big thing in Formula 1, in the same way the team did with Lewis Hamilton a decade ago.
At this point, McLaren can confirm Norris has “a multi-year agreement” with the Woking-based team. The Brit tested with McLaren in 2017 and 2018 as well. At the Belgian Grand Prix in August, he drove Fernando Alonso’s car 26 laps in the first session of practice, outperforming Vandoorne.
“For the remainder of 2018, my focus remains firmly on the Formula 2 championship,” said Norris. “My objective is to win the title before joining McLaren full-time, which will be tough, but I will fight as hard as I can for the remaining four races.”
First of all, McLaren hasn’t been up to the job ever since Honda and subsequently Renault replaced Mercedes as the supplier of the hybrid power unit. Then there are the underperforming chassis, aerodynamic, reliability, qualifying and race setups, which didn’t help Stoffel either. Last, but certainly not least, many people who work for McLaren aren’t happy with how the team carries itself in this day and age.
From overall champion in the GP2 Series, Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, and F4 Eurocup 1.4, the Belgian finished the 2016 and 2017 seasons at McLaren in Formula 1 on 20th and 16th, respectively. There’s no mistaking Stoffel would’ve been a challenger in the midfield if the car were better, but as it is, McLaren made a hash out of it.
“While we haven’t achieved the success we’d all hoped for, I’ve really enjoyed the past two seasons racing for McLaren and I have a great relationship with everyone in the team,” declared Vandoorne. “I intend to give it my all for the remaining seven races of this season, and will announce my plans for next season in due course.”
And now, time to talk about Lando Norris. With five titles under his belt and a possible sixth in the making, the Brit has a lot of promise going for him, based on results alone. And in earnest, McLaren might be thinking about “raising” Norris as the next big thing in Formula 1, in the same way the team did with Lewis Hamilton a decade ago.
At this point, McLaren can confirm Norris has “a multi-year agreement” with the Woking-based team. The Brit tested with McLaren in 2017 and 2018 as well. At the Belgian Grand Prix in August, he drove Fernando Alonso’s car 26 laps in the first session of practice, outperforming Vandoorne.
“For the remainder of 2018, my focus remains firmly on the Formula 2 championship,” said Norris. “My objective is to win the title before joining McLaren full-time, which will be tough, but I will fight as hard as I can for the remaining four races.”
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