Alonso replacement wants to give McLaren a 'headache'

Having been linked with replacing Fernando Alonso at McLaren, racing prodigy Lando Norris wants to give the team a selection "headache" for the 2019 season. Norris started his Formula 2 career in the best possible fashion by taking a spectacular sprint-race victory in Bahrain.

Norris led parts of the Sakhir season-opener by more than 10 seconds as he looks to make good on serious hype.

Arguably no junior driver has come so highly fancied since Lewis Hamilton, with Norris entering Formula 1's feeder series on the back of five titles won in the last three years across lower categories.

Reports in Spain have recently linked Alonso with a move to Mercedes at the end of the year to replace Valtteri Bottas, with Norris in pole position to replace the two-time world champion if he can keep up his form in F2, where he is the standings leader after one event.

Speaking of McLaren's thoughts for next year, Norris said: "Obviously a headache would be nice! It's good for me, and at least they're thinking about what position I could be in.

"I think they're very happy with Fernando and Stoffel [Vandoorne] at the moment. It's in a position now where there's a lot of development going on, and having a slightly more experienced driver is a help.

"The rate of development would be slightly faster than if I jumped in, because I'd have to get used to F1 a bit. So I think the position they're in now, they're reasonably happy with."

Vandoorne was caught in a tough situation after winning Formula 2 - then GP2 - in 2015, only for McLaren to not have a seat available due to Alonso and Jenson Button's presence and Norris is wary of similar happening if he wins F2 this year, given rules stating the champion cannot return to defend his crown.

"I guess it's the first year where if I did win F2, I wouldn't be able to do another year, and every year I've taken a step up into the next category. It could be the first year where I don't get this opportunity to step up," Norris said.

"But I don't think that's something I need to be thinking about for now. I just need to be focusing on the job I have to do, winning Formula 2, and worrying about that later in the season."