3 F1 drivers who can replace Lando Norris at McLaren after Ferrari reports emerge

Lando Norris is reportedly on his way to Ferrari F1 after signing a pre-contract agreement with the Italian team post his performance in the 2023 British GP.

It was heavily rumored that he might join Red Bull to partner against Max Verstappen in the coming season but the news of him probably joining the Prancing Horses will leave a vacancy at one of the most iconic teams in F1.

If Lando Norris does end up joining Ferrari in the future there are three drivers who are currently leading the field as his replacement.

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#1 Carlos Sainz

The Spaniard raced for McLaren previously for two seasons in 2019 and 2020 before joining Ferrari. It is very likely that Norris might be replacing his former teammate in the Italian team. A homecoming of sorts for Carlos Sainz may be a good move for both parties as McLaren knows him pretty well.

The current Ferrari driver has a contract with the team until the end of the 2024 season and the straight swap might be the best option for all parties involved.

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#2 Alex Albon - Williams F1

The Thai is one of the in-form drivers in F1 currently given his performances in one of the slowest cars on the grid this season. Alex Albon has single-handedly taken Williams to seventh in the constructor championship, owing to his points finishes in 2023.

Just like Sainz, Albon is also on a multi-year contract with Williams and would need McLaren to buy him out of it. He would also like to have another shot at a bigger team after his failure to deliver big performances in Red Bull in 2020.

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#3 Colton Herta

The flamboyant American racer has been linked with F1 for quite a while and was very close to signing a contract with AlphaTauri last season. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko tried very hard to sign Herta but could not succeed as he did not have enough points on his super license.

The McLaren IndyCar driver Was also previously rumored to join the F1 team when Daniel Ricciardo was struggling with them in his two years in Woking. He could prove to be an underdog in the race but since he already is a part of the Mclaren family he may not need too much time to delve in with them.