Formula 1 could be in line for one of the most bizarre twists in its history when the 2025 season draws to a close later this year, with reigning world champions McLaren and current championship leader Lando Norris at the center of it all.
According to a well-placed source within Team Papaya, McLaren’s top brass has, in principle, agreed to an audacious plan that would see Norris swap his helmet for a headset and replace Andrea Stella as team principal for the sport’s season finale in Abu Dhabi!
But why on earth would team and driver even consider such a radical switch?
From Banter to Bold Strategy
Last week, during McLaren’s preparations for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix, a briefing session at Woking brought together Norris, his crews, Stella, and McLaren CEO Zak Brown.
In a lighthearted exchange, Norris reportedly voiced his curiosity about what it would be like to run the team from the pit wall.
“I’d love a chance to spend a weekend overseeing the team – I reckon I’d do a decent job,” he quipped.
Brown, known for his playful yet ambitious nature, replied with a chuckle, “Keep talking like that, Lando, and we might just take you up on it.”
What started as casual banter, however, appears to have turned into a serious proposition.
The Deal: A Champion’s Last-Minute Career Change?
According to sources, Brown, Stella, and Norris quickly reached a tacit agreement: if Norris and McLaren clinch both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships with at least one race to spare, Norris will step into Stella’s role for the Abu Dhabi finale.
In turn, McLaren would open a race seat for a young talent – Arrow McLaren IndyCar star Pato O’Ward comes to mind – to make his F1 debut.
With McLaren’s blistering performances in Australia and China, the idea, while outrageous, isn’t entirely implausible.
©McLaren
Norris has long demonstrated a strong grasp of race strategy, and Zak Brown, ever the marketing guru seeking a publicity masterstroke, surely sees the appeal of giving a championship-winning driver a brief taste of team management.
Genius or Just a Gag?
Whether this is a genuine strategic play or just a lighthearted stunt remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure – the paddock will be watching closely as the season unfolds.
For now, McLaren remains tight-lipped, leaving everyone to speculate: could Norris cap off 2025 not just as a world champion, but as a one-race team principal, the youngest in F1 history?
Or is this just the kind of twist that sounds too good to be true – especially this time of year?
Time will tell.
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