F1 News
Who replaces Norris after race ban? 'We're borrowing this Mercedes driver'
Despite the strong results from McLaren driver Lando Norris in 2021, the boss of the British racing team, Andreas Seidl, is not reassured about the already obtained penalty points of the racer. The team boss says he already has a plan in place in case of a race ban for the Briton.
"It's not reassuring," begins Seidl in conversation with the German RTL. "We are now at a fundamental risk." Given the mediocre form of Daniel Ricciardo at the British outfit, it will continue to be up to Norris to bring in the points for his team. This he does very consistently, however, by posting a top-8 result in all nine races run so far.
Norris' strong results ask for a price in turn, it seems. With ten penalty-points behind his name, the driver is only two points away from a one-race ban.
First choice
When asked about the team's strategy in case of a race ban for Norris, Seidl stated that a driver from the list of Mercedes could most likely be borrowed. "We have an agreement with Mercedes regarding reserve drivers," the team boss explained. The first choice is Formula E driver Stoffel Vandoorne, although Seidl says he is also open to other options, such as Nico Hulkenberg.