While Lando Norris Jokes About Retirement After First Win, Ex-F1 Champion Claims McLaren Star’s Time “Will Come Soon”

Lando Norris recently commented on his inability to win despite putting in good performances and joked that he would retire after winning his first race, much like Nico Rosberg did after winning the title. However, as per a report by GPBlog, ex-F1 champion Mika Hakkinen believes that a win will come soon for the young Briton.

While previewing the Mexico City GP on Unibet, Hakkinen mentioned the various possible winners for the race. Amongst the likes of Sergio Perez and Verstappen, Hakkinen included Norris and wrote, “Lando is just waiting for the opportunity. It will come soon.”

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Norris has already managed to chalk up 12 podium finishes, with 6 of them coming this season, but has always fallen short of P1. During his stint with McLaren, the team has managed to win twice, and both of them were Norris’ teammates. The 2021 Italian GP was won by Daniel Ricciardo and the 2023 Qatar Sprint was won by Oscar Piastri, with Norris finishing on the podium both of the times.

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However, at the young age of 23, Norris has already shown how consistent he can be. Already touted as a future World Champion, the only blot on his record so far is his winless streak. But as per Hakkinen, that will change soon

McLaren has never managed to provide Norris with machinery capable enough to challenge for wins. However, with the progress that the Woking-based outfit have made throughout the 2023 season, the Mcl60 has become capable enough to challenge for podiums at least.

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Therefore, the hope is that McLaren will soon be able to come up with a car that can regularly fight at the front. However, there have been recent speculations regarding a possible option for Norris to move to Red Bull, which has also been backed up by Alex Albon.

While a move to Red Bull seems really inviting for any driver, things aren’t as simple as it seems. The move might backfire completely given that Norris will have to team up with Verstappen. Therefore, Norris would want to wait and watch what McLaren can come up with in the near future before making any decision.