At the age of 22, most Formula 1 drivers are still fighting to establish themselves on the grid – that is if they’ve even reached the pinnacle of motorsport to begin with.
So when McLaren presented Lando Norris with a multi-year contract extension worth tens of millions of pounds before season had even started, it was a seismic vote of confidence in the then-22-year-old’s abilities. And throughout 2022, Norris proved that he was worth every penny of McLaren’s investment in him.
A new era of Formula 1 offered a wealth of opportunities for Norris and McLaren. But as they prepared for the first round of the season in Bahrain, it was in the knowledge that their car had a fundamental problem.
With their brakes overheating far too easily, both Norris and team mate Daniel Ricciardo had no chance of challenging for points. Instead, the pair had to settle for 14th and 15th, with Norris following his team mate home after a well-timed Safety Car helped Ricciardo jump ahead.
But any fears that McLaren were in for a truly painful 2022 season were dispelled just a week later in Jeddah. Norris was less than half a tenth away from reaching Q3 at just the second attempt of the season and ran in the top ten throughout the race. He only just missed out on sixth place by less than a tenth after a final lap battle with Esteban Ocon, but seventh meant Norris and McLaren would return home from the opening two rounds with more points than they would have expected.
When they arrived in Melbourne, McLaren were on top of their braking troubles. Around an Albert Park circuit notorious for heavy braking zones, Norris unquestionably made the most of his car by securing a second row start in fourth, ahead of the two Mercedes. In the race, he brought the car home in fifth ahead of Ricciardo – aided by his team mate agreeing not to attack Norris in the closing laps as he ran low on fuel.
Imola came next. In qualifying, Norris committed his first mistake of the season. He slid off the slippery track in Q3 at Acque Minerali, but ironically secured himself third on the grid in the sprint race by doing so. Despite limited running in second practice, he took fifth on the grid in the grand prix, then he beat Charles Leclerc on the run down to turn one at the start. When Leclerc eventually got ahead of him, Norris was unable to keep pace with the Ferrari and two Red Bulls ahead – but he was also well out of reach of…
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