2019 McLaren driver Lando Norris is hopeful he can draw on the “valuable” advice of Fernando Alonso next season.
The young Briton, who finished second to George Russell in Formula 2 this year, earned the promotion and has been gaining crucial experience with a number of practice appearances while building a strong friendship with Alonso.
But with the Spaniard set to run his own schedule including a return to Daytona, WEC and in the Indy 500, it’s unknown currently what kind of role if any he’ll have at McLaren.
“I think it’ll be very valuable,” Norris said if the double world champion remains close with the British team.
“He’s obviously got the best idea of how the car has changed over the year, the best experience of what’s good and what’s bad – a lot more than I do.”
Also Read:
- McLaren open to Alonso testing 2019 car
- Alonso on ‘speed-dial’ should McLaren need a driver in 2019
- Vandoorne exit proves Norris must capitalise on F1 chance
During Alonso’s final race weekend in Abu Dhabi, he left the door open to a future return to F1 in 2020 which might worry Norris and teammate Carlos Sainz as to their long-term positions
Lando though doesn’t believe it’s anything to think about just yet.
“Obviously, I don’t know what’s going to happen, if he’s still going to be part of McLaren, he still is part of McLaren, I guess a lot is up to him,” he said.
“But I think there’s a long way to go until we see what he wants to do and if he wants to get in an F1 car again.”
This week also saw Norris complete his first day of running as a race driver with the Woking-based squad at the post-season test in Abu Dhabi and he spoke about the different approach that brought.
“It did feel a bit different,” he after doing 136 laps on Tuesday.
“I think it was not more pressure, but you just had to think more, or know, now that I knew, realizing basically that a lot of this stuff is for a lot more of my own good.
“[There were] things that will really benefit me a lot more for next year.
“Although doing all the FP1s and everything is the same thing, everything is going to be helping, this is a lot more, for me, working with the team, the engineers, trying to get everything based more around me rather than Fernando and Stoffel.
“So it definitely did feel a bit different. More focus on really trying to make the best for me, and not so much about the others.”