Norris becomes McLaren’s test and reserve driver for 2018

2018 F1 season

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Lando Norris will be the official test and reserve driver for McLaren in 2018, the team has confirmed.

The European Formula Three champion impressed the team at his test for them at the Hungaroring earlier this year.

Norris shone at Hungaroring test
“The last 12 months have been an incredible journey for me,” said Norris. “I’ve enjoyed every single minute and this is just an amazing way to bring the year to an end.”

“I’m really looking forward to helping the team, starting next week with the tyre test at Interlagos, and I will work harder than ever to learn and develop across the next year. I have two excellent teachers in Fernando and Stoffel, and I will do my best to help with the team’s efforts to get back to the front.”

Norris is expected to move into Formula Two next year. “I’m still working hard to finalise my own racing programme for 2018,” he said. “We’re close on a number of different fronts, but not quite there yet. I hope to be able to announce something shortly.”

McLaren executive director Zak Brown described Norris as “an outstanding young talent.”

“Today’s announcement is thoroughly deserved, and underlines the incredible high regard in which we hold his abilities. By winning last year in Formula Renault, triumphing in the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver Award, and then showing the speed and consistency needed to win the European F3 championship, he is undoubtedly carving himself a reputation as one of the very best up-and-coming single-seater drivers in the world.”

“His summer test for McLaren was also remarkably impressive, and was further proof that he is ready to step up and take on a role of this size, scope and responsibility.”

“At McLaren, we are all extremely keen to help him achieve his goal of racing in Formula 1.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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15 comments on “Norris becomes McLaren’s test and reserve driver for 2018”

  1. Nice work Lando – go well young fella!!!
    As he says a few words from Fernando and Stoffel cant hurt too much – the former not a bad teacher I suspect :)

    1. @evilhomer
      In Norris’ place, I’d pay close attention to the latter’s words as well – Stoffel has developped from a punching ball to a reasonable challenger for Alonso over the course of the season. Learning from an all-time great is never a bad thing, but learning from someone who has recently started catching up with one might be even more insightful.

      1. all-time great?

  2. Great name. His parent surely are SW and Chuck fans. Otherwise, that’s a fanciful coincidence.

    1. Ooh,he looks like Nico Rosberg with his hair dyed dark.Is Nico trying to get back to F1 under an alias…?

  3. If he replaces Stoffel, McLaren’s lineup will be Nando-Norris.

    1. @mashiat Isn’t Nando’s nickname Chuck?

  4. Brilliant news. Him, Leclerc and Verstappen are the future of F1 for their age group. Can see him spending a year (or 2) on the sidelines before replacing Alonso, by which point he’d have partaken in many FP1’s, and should be accustomed to the cars.

      1. Yep, @hugh11 is missing Ocon in his list.

      2. Oh yeah. Of course.

    1. Hoping he get an F2 campaign together for 2018.

  5. Remember seeing Norris race in the Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand a few years back and he was awesome. He was a newcomer & made everyone else look like a rookie. Have followed his career with interest since that and everything he has done has screamed “star of the future”. Very pleased that he has this opportunity & can’t wait to see him reach the top of the ladder. He has what it takes to go all the way…

  6. And the craziest / most amazing bit of this is that as he’s now doing the first day of McLaren’s Pirelli test next Tuesday, he’s gonna arrive in Macau only 2 or 3 hours ahead of qualifying on the Thursday, having missed all practice!
    Legend!

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