Mercedes have been told they should have signed Lando Norris if he was available instead of George Russell to replace Valtteri Bottas in the 2022 season.
Bottas has moved to Alfa Romeo and so British driver Russell joins Lewis Hamilton on Toto Wolff’s team. Russell won his first podium in the 2021 season and had a good campaign in a poor Williams car, with Norris also impressing. Norris was unavailable for Mercedes as he re-signed for McLaren.
Jack Nicholls said on the F1: Chequered Flag podcast: “If I’m Mercedes and I have a free choice in that second seat alongside Hamilton, I think I’m picking Norris over Russell after this year.”
Jolyon Palmer added: “I’m going with Jack on it, I’m going with Lando. The way that he held off Lewis Hamilton at the end of that Sochi race until the strategy and the tyre choice got away from him, was unbelievable.
“For a guy that has never won a race, to have a seven-time World Champion breathing down his neck in a Mercedes…
“Then it starts raining, and he’s still off the road a couple of times, scrabbling around, but keeping Hamilton, we all know how good he is in the wet, behind him. It was really legendary stuff I think from Norris.”
Norris is dedicated to McLaren and has said he will win the world title under them.
“My goal is to win races and world championships and over the last three years McLaren have shown me that they’re able to build a car for me to do that in,” he wrote.
“I had my first podium with McLaren and I’ll have my first win with McLaren. Let’s continue what we started.”
