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Lando Norris picked up his first podium of the 2022 season with McLaren. This marked a turnaround of sorts for the British team after a rocky start to the season. At this point in the season, Norris has 35 points to his name. That's more than 80% of the points for the team.
At Imola, like almost every other race of the season, Norris once again proved to be one of the best drivers on the grid. Simultaneously, he also stirred the debate that his contract extension that makes him a McLaren driver until the end of the 2025 season might be a mistake.
McLaren hits the ceiling as a midfield team
McLaren has shown great improvements if you compare where it was just a few years ago, forcing Fernando Alonso into a sabbatical. The team has made giant strides and brought itself to the front of the midfield. The podium at Imola and the fightback this season show that the foundation of the team is very strong.
To be honest about the team's prospects, however, this is the best it gets. The new-age McLaren will not be a title contender. Why? Because other than the resources (which the team has appreciably raised recently), the team is still dependent on an engine manufacturer.
McLaren is currently powered by Mercedes. So will this partnership last if McLaren is beating Mercedes every week, or worse if McLaren is directly fighting against Mercedes? To solve this, the Audi partnership would have been perfect for the team as it would have transformed itself into a works team. The deal didn't go through, however, and now, in the near future, McLaren is still going to be a customer team. While as tough as it might be to accept, McLaren might not have a championship-contending ceiling in its current form.
As one of the best on the grid, Lando Norris should drive a better car
There has been a lot of chatter around Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso deserving a better car to showcase their talents. Concurrently, though, the same needs to be said for Lando Norris. The Briton was, at worst, the third-best driver on the grid last season behind the two championship contenders.
He was fast, flawless, and most importantly, he obliterated his well-respected teammate. Even this season, he has picked up from where he left off last season and has been the flagbearer of McLaren's challenge. Drivers like Norris, who are the cream of the crop, deserve to fight consistently for poles and wins instead of scoring an occasional podium.
Daniel Ricciardo is the best example of being at the wrong place at the wrong time
If there is one driver Lando Norris needs to look at for inspiration, it's Daniel Ricciardo. Ricciardo was considered one of the best drivers on the grid in 2015. The Australian went through multiple uncompetitive years with Red Bull until a teenage sensation by the name of Max Verstappen walked into the team and grabbed everyone's attention. Ever since, Ricciardo has been jumping ships for the perfect opportunity to fight for the title.
Last year, he started his journey at McLaren and ran into Lando Norris, a young, fast, and reliable driver. Coupled with his advancing age, Ricciardo's prospects of ever fighting for a title have turned somewhat grim.
In F1, time is of the essence. Norris is 22 at the moment. By the time his McLaren contract expires, he will be 25. In those three years, a lot can happen. You have to strike the iron when it's hot and Norris should not spend these years in a midfield team, when he could have fought for the title in the right car instead.
McLaren gave Lando Norris the opportunity to start his career in F1. He, however, needs to be careful and take a look at his former teammate Carlos Sainz, who made the jump to Ferrari and has the opportunity to fight for poles and wins every weekend.
Norris is one of the best talents on the grid at the moment but his rather long contract with McLaren could come back to bite him if the team does not become a frontrunner soon.
