Lando Norris has been announced as the replacement of Stoffel Vandoorne at McLaren in 2019, and the British teenager reacted to the news by saying it's a dream come true for him.
The 18-year-old will be partnering up with the newly signed Carlos Sainz Junior, who will make the switch from Renault after this season. Norris, who currently is in second place in the Formula 2 behind Mercedes junior George Russell, is hailed as one of the biggest talents in racing, and has done multiple free practice runs in the McLaren already this season.
“To be announced as a race driver for McLaren is a dream come true," he said on the McLaren website.
"Although I’ve been part of the team for a while now, this is a special moment, one I could only hope would become reality.
"I’m extremely grateful for the commitment McLaren has already shown in my development, allowing me to build my experience in a Formula 1 car in both testing and on Fridays during the past two race weekends.
“For the remainder of 2018, my focus remains firmly on the Formula 2 championship.
"My objective is to win the title before joining McLaren full-time, which will be tough, but I will fight as hard as I can for the remaining four races.
"I’ll also be working closely with McLaren at every opportunity to learn as much as possible from the drivers, engineers and mechanics to give myself the best preparation ahead of next year.”
Hang on, a British rookie partnering up at McLaren with a Spaniard signed from Renault? Haven't we heard that one before?
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