Sky Sports reporter Craig Slater has described Lando Norris as the ‘Jude Bellingham of racing’ thanks to his raw ability and marketability. He also suggested that Audi could be taking a look at the 23-year-old ahead of their entry into F1 in 2026.
Norris is currently one of F1’s hottest prospects, having impressed the whole paddock with his rapid one-lap pace and consistent performances since making his debut with McLaren back in 2019.
Speaking about the young Brit for Sky Sports, Slater said: “Lando Norris, he’s the Jude Bellingham of Formula 1 in transfer terms. If he were a footballer, I think he’d be in the 100 million category. He’s young, he’s talented, he’s marketable as well.
“Consider another couple of factors, he is McLaren’s senior driver now, he is in his sixth year at the team. Five years as an F1 driver, but he had been in development terms before that as well. He’s the leader of the team.”
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Slater then went on to discuss his future with McLaren. Norris is contracted with the team for another two seasons after 2023 comes to a close and has been heavily linked with a move to Red Bull. However, Christian Horner has remained sceptical about the team’s chances of snapping him up.
“Are McLaren ready to let him go? Absolutely not,” Slater continued. “Is there a team out there that desperately needs to sign Lando Norris? Well maybe not right now. Ferrari seem to be well enough covered, Mercedes look like they’ll continue to work with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell for the years ahead. And Max Verstappen is firmly ensconced at Red Bull.
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“Audi could be interesting in a couple of years’ time. When they come into Formula 1, they will want a big name to be the face of their team. Might Lando Norris fit the bill in that regard? Might he link up again with this former boss at McLaren Andreas Seidl? But a lot of depends on where McLaren are at in a couple of years.”
Audi’s project is an interesting conundrum in the context of the driver market. With Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu both unlikely to stay with the team in 2026, there is room for a marquee signing to lead the team into their new era, and Norris would fit that billing.
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