Norris the new Audi front-runner? Verstappen leads by example

With a sixth place in Australia, Lando Norris scored his first points in 2023. The Briton has had a disappointing season start, and his outlook is not too good either. Perhaps Audi will be the most interesting team to bet on for the young driver to be a part of in 2026.

Norris stuck with McLaren

Norris has a contract at McLaren until 2025, so he is in a pickle for now. In Melbourne, Norris actually picked up points. The Briton also drove into the points before all the chaos in the final laps, but also knows that Red Bull Racing, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Mercedes and Alpine are normally faster. So getting points is very difficult this season.

That is not the position the 23-year-old driver wants to be in. Earlier, we looked at his options for 2024, should Norris be in possession of a performance clause. In that case, a top team could buy out his contract. The problem, however, is that there is hardly any room.

Mercedes already has a driver locked in for 2024 with George Russell, and the chances of Lewis Hamilton leaving are extremely slim. Besides, if Hamilton does leave, it remains to be seen whether Norris will want to step in alongside Russell. If you want to become a world champion, you not only need a top team, but also front-runner status. In that respect, the lost 2018 Formula 2 championship is a sign for Norris not to make that move.

Also, at Red Bull Racing and Ferrari, Norris would join the number one driver's team alongside Max Verstappen or Charles Leclerc. Getting in at those teams will be even trickier, as Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz have contracts until 2024. While Aston Martin has Fernando Alonso and a contract for life for Lance Stroll, Alpine has instead opted for two French talents. Norris is said by many to be better than Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, but is Alpine really a step ahead?

In that respect, Norris might do well to wait as long as possible. At McLaren, despite the arrival of Oscar Piastri, he is still the front-runner. There he can see what the team's plans are. How are things panning out with the new technical committee since James Key's departure, and what kind of engine deal is being done for 2026? If that is all clear to Norris, he may even make the choice to stay longer.

Audi and Sauber

Still, there may be another team where Norris could become the new front-runner, and that is Audi. From 2026, Audi will enter F1 as Sauber's engine supplier. Sauber is known to many people as a small rearguard team, but the facilities the team does have. With the (financial) arrival of Audi, they can work their way back to the top as was done before with BMW. Then the Hinwil-based team achieved second place among constructors in 2007 and third in 2008. The budget cap should make it even easier to compete with the establishment in 2026.

Together with Audi, Sauber will become the fifth factory team in F1. Since Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari already feature a No.1 driver, Norris might be the man for the Audi project. There, with Andreas Seidl, he will also meet his former team boss, who, as Sauber's CEO, will have to oversee the switch to Audi in the coming period.

Besides the fact that waiting until 2026 could result in a move to Audi, we are then three years away again. The chances are the landscape will look very different by then. Who knows, maybe more interesting spots will be vacant by then. It remains a gamble, though, as new engines will also be introduced in 2026, and it remains to be seen who comes out on top there.

Although with the current performance, Norris will prefer to run away as soon as possible, it might be better to stay where he is for a while. Even if a spot becomes available at Mercedes, Red Bull or Ferrari, it remains to be seen whether that will do his career any good. After all, he won't just become the front-runner there. It would be better for him to wait a while at McLaren, see how the plans there unfold, and then make an informed decision about his future before 2026. With Max Verstappen, he has the example that patience pays off, leaving quickly often does not. Just ask Fernando Alonso and Daniel Ricciardo.