'Hopefully Norris has an exit clause in his contract'

Karun Chandhok expects Lando Norris to look to other teams if McLaren does not improve this season. The analyst from Sky Sports said after the Bahrain Grand Prix that he sees Norris' talent being lost at McLaren at the moment.

McLaren experienced a dramatic start to the season in 2023. In qualifying, Oscar Piastri crashed out on the first lap and Norris managed to limp into Q2, where the Brit was then stranded. During the race, both drivers managed to fight their way to the front slightly before both suffered technical issues. Piastri reported losing his gearbox, after which the team called him in to put a new steering wheel in the car. However, the steering wheel could not connect and Piastri had to end his race. Norris, meanwhile, suffered hydraulic problems and needed no less than six pit stops to cross the finish line. The Brit finished the race last, two laps behind winner Max Verstappen.

According to Chandhok, Norris will now strongly consider whether he still wants to stay at McLaren. Despite Norris still having a contract at McLaren until 2025, Chandhok said he will still think about a possible move.

"We were talking before the season about McLaren locking him in and Zak doing an amazing job contracting him in for that four-year period," Chandhok said. "I think if they’re smart they created some exit-clauses before. For example if McLaren don’t finish in the top 4 of the constructors championship two years in a row, is there an option for Lando to look elsewhere. Because outside of your traditional top three teams, you’ve got Fernando and Lando are your two top drivers on the grid. And the fact that he’s fighting to even get a car into Q3, there’s got to be a little bit of frustration there."