Lando Norris' worst-case scenario in 2025 – Oscar Piastri confirmed No1, Sergio Perez sacked

Lando Norris is expected to proceed his relation arsenic McLaren's fig 1 operator for the 2025 Formula One season, but Zak Brown whitethorn precise good propulsion a spanner successful the works

Despite playing 2nd fiddle to Max Verstappen for the bulk of the season, Lando Norris has enjoyed a whirlwind 2024 with McLaren.

The 24-year-old is presently 2nd successful the Formula 1 title standings, trailing Red Bull's Verstappen by conscionable 59 points. With 7 Grand Prix inactive to go, helium volition inactive beryllium hoping to overtake the three-time world champion.

Norris would undoubtedly beryllium comfortably successful fig 1 if it wasn't for Verstappen, having won 2 races and earned a spot connected the podium 10 times. But adjacent if helium fails to triumph his archetypal F1 rubric successful 2024, helium volition look to equine different situation adjacent year.

As things stand, Norris is mostly seen arsenic McLaren's number-one operator fixed his rubric challenge, but team-mate Oscar Piastri has besides had an outstanding twelvemonth and is proving that helium has what it takes to pb the squad successful 2025. Here, Mirror Sport breaks down each of the nightmare scenarios Norris could beryllium faced with heading into the caller season…

Piastri named McLaren's fig one

One of the astir disheartening things that could instrumentality spot up of the 2025 F1 play would undoubtedly beryllium McLaren brag Zak Brown naming Piastri arsenic the team's number-one driver. Both Norris and Piastri person committed their futures to Brown's outfit, but it's inactive up successful the aerial who volition travel retired connected apical adjacent year.

Currently, Norris is starring his team-mate by 32 points, with Piastri boasting 2 victories and six podium finishes himself successful the 2024 season. However, the 23-year-old could signifier a precocious comeback depending connected circumstances heading into the past 7 races of the year, having outperformed his team-mate of late.

If Piastri were to go McLaren's apical operator successful the 2025 season, it would woody a important stroke to Norris' assurance and whitethorn interaction his performance. It mightiness besides effect successful Piastri receiving preferential attraction - though McLaren person a long-standing contented of treating their drivers equally, lone precocious asking the Australian to assistance Norris successful his rubric bid if the accidental is there.

Sergio Perez is sacked by Red Bull

As Verstappen sets his sights connected a 4th consecutive F1 Championship, Red Bull whitethorn reconsider their presumption connected his team-mate, Sergio Perez. The 34-year-old Mexican has had a disappointing play this year, languishing successful eighth spot successful the wide standings portion Verstappen continues to reign ultimate connected the tracks.

Should Red Bull determine to sever ties with Perez, it could ramp up the contention for Norris successful 2025. Last month, Red Bull engineering main Paul Monaghan named 3 imaginable replacements for Perez should helium beryllium shown the door: Daniel Ricciardo, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda.

Monaghan said: "I deliberation immoderate of our drivers could measurement in. [Liam] could, arsenic could Yuki, arsenic could Daniel, arsenic could Checo, they are each susceptible of driving the car. But it is simply a question for Christian [Horner] and Helmut [Marko]. Without wishing to beryllium dismissive of your question, I deliberation it is 1 amended posed to Checo himself if you are going to inquire what's changed for him. In presumption of the car, if this aero level suits him a small spot amended comparative to the opposition, past it is easier for him to beryllium quicker successful the field."

Replacing Perez earlier the extremity of the play would besides instrumentality an enactment distant from Norris should helium privation to permission McLaren. It is incredibly improbable that Norris volition portion ways with his existent set-up earlier the 2024 play comes to a adjacent but helium has been heavy linked to Red Bull successful the past and if the worst was to hap and Piastri is fixed the motion to beryllium the No 1, the Brit theoretically whitethorn past look for a caller team.

Mercedes and Ferrari amended line-ups

While Lando Norris has lone truly been challenged by Verstappen this year, the 2025 F1 play could good beryllium a antithetic story. Impressive youngster Kimi Antonelli volition articulation George Russell astatine Mercedes, portion Lewis Hamilton is making a determination to Ferrari to squad up with Charles Leclerc.

Despite not having won a rubric since 2020, seven-time champion Hamilton could find renewed occurrence successful 2025 with a caller car and team. Ferrari president John Elkann is assured that the company's acquisition of the 39-year-old volition let him to triumph an eighth satellite title, telling Sky Germany past month: "He comes to america to win, and we go stronger with him erstwhile it comes to anticipating the challenges of the future.

"He comes to america to win, and we go stronger with him erstwhile it comes to anticipating the challenges of the future. We are talking astir a large jock who is precise motivated to go satellite champion for the eighth time, arsenic the past races person shown. He surely doesn't travel to Ferrari to bask his retirement."

Norris has already admitted that McLaren are much disquieted astir Ferrari than Red Bull, and there's immoderate anxiousness astir wherever their car volition fertile connected the grid adjacent season, particularly with Mercedes besides making important advancement this year.

Meanwhile, Antonelli has shown specified committedness that helium bypassed F3 wholly to marque his F2 debut with Prema this year. Alongside Russell, it volition beryllium absorbing to spot conscionable however overmuch of a thorn helium tin beryllium successful the broadside of Norris adjacent season. If the youngster tin person an contiguous impact, helium volition person a caller rival to contend with.

Adrian Newey’s determination to Aston Martin brings much competition

Aston Martin person pulled disconnected a large coup by securing the services of apical F1 decorator Adrian Newey for the 2025 season. Newey inked a semipermanent declaration with the iconic British marque aft a two-decade stint with Red Bull, batting distant involvement from rivals Ferrari and Williams. Newey volition marque a commencement with Aston travel March 2025 and volition person a immense interaction connected the team's 2026 car.

Upon completion of the deal, proprietor Lawrence Stroll said: "This is immense news. Adrian is the champion successful the satellite astatine what helium does – helium is astatine the apical of his crippled – and I americium incredibly arrogant that helium is joining the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team."

Newey volition person his enactment chopped retired if helium is to crook the Aston Martin into a car susceptible of warring astatine the beforehand of the grid successful 2025 but his way grounds is exceptional - and the past happening Norris volition privation is different contender warring for podiums and wins with Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull already to deliberation about.

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