Oscar Piastri has an exciting wait for his first Formula 1 drive, but Lando Norris’ fight with tonsillitis could give the Australian his chance at this week’s Monaco Grand Prix.
Norris was brave at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, rising from 11th to eighth in the grid despite apparently battling excruciating pain.
McLaren has no set reserve driver but the Surrey-based team has ties to Mercedes and Alpine.
Read more: Excitement erupted over the ‘unfair’ call at the Spanish Grand Prix
Read more: Kyle Chalmers has smashed Cody Simpson’s election drama to pieces
Read more: Why wouldn’t the Cowboy gun win the prestigious NRL award
McLaren’s deal with Alpine means Piastri could replace Norris or his Australian teammate Daniel Ricciardo – the reigning Formula 2 champion.
McLaren could join the Mercedes crew because of the power-unit partnership.
“This is something we will work on at short notice,” said Andreas Siddle, head of the McLaren team.
“Which options will we call – it depends on availability, because not all boys are always available due to the other promises of other racing series.”
Norris’ pain was initially alleviated for allergies but the prognosis worsened later on a trip to Spain.
Britain looked nauseous on the side of the track before the race and looked tired after finishing eighth.
He did not participate in the general post-race media round due to his physical condition.
It certainly didn’t help that the temperature in Barcelona rose until the mid-30s.
Norris said it was one of his “toughest races”, but he still managed to finish four places more than Ricciardo.
“I can’t thank him enough for fighting it, and he showed a great fighting spirit because in the end, it enabled us to score these four points,” Siddle said of Norris’ performance.
“We obviously have a doctor involved in that decision (whether he will race), and we will never risk Lando’s health, just to clear it up.
“We need to make sure he has some rest in the next four days before we return to Monaco.
“I think with the medical help we have, and now with the possibility of four days of rest, I am hopeful that Lando will be fit.
“But, as you know, we have a variety of options in terms of ready-made reserve drivers, which we will pull in an emergency.”
To get a daily dose of the best breaking news and exclusive content from the Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter Click here!
