McLaren consider loaning out rising star Norris

McLAREN are open to offers to turn Lando Norris into Britain’s next Formula One star this season, possibly in time for the British Grand Prix next month. The team are keen to blood their 18-year-old test driver, despite recently turning down a race seat for him at Toro Rosso. That deal collapsed because Toro Rosso wanted to take Norris on a long-term basis, which was deemed unacceptable by McLaren bosses. But it is understood that if Toro Rosso, or another team, could find space for him at any of the remaining 14 races of the season without condition, McLaren would let him go on loan. They would then pull him out of his current commitments in Formula Two, which he leads by 27 points going into the next race in France, to focus on his grand prix future.

‘We would like him to get experience somewhere,’ said McLaren chief executive Zak Brown. ‘Lando is a McLaren driver and we think he has a bright future here, but if an opportunity came elsewhere we would seriously consider it. But we have got no interest in letting Lando go anywhere long term.’ If he made his debut this season, Norris would become Britain’s youngest ever Formula One driver. Norris (right) is in contention

for a McLaren race seat next year, either as a replacement for Fernando Alonso, if the double world champion quits the sport, or for the Belgian driver Stoffel Vandoorne. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton returned to England yesterday for consultation with his Mercedes team after losing the world championship lead to Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in Canada on Sunday. The Briton finished fifth and now trails his German rival by a point. Hamilton said: ‘It is tough when you don’t get the result you have worked for. It is about lifting each other up and pulling together because there is still a long way to go. ‘We can only prepare the best we can to minimise the bad days and capitalise on the better ones.’