Norris hoping to give McLaren headache for 2019

Lando Norris says it "would be nice" to give McLaren a "headache" over its future Formula 1 driver line-up plans by winning the Formula 2 title in 2018, but is refusing to dwell on his final step up to the top tier of single-seater racing.

McLaren junior Norris, 18, won the F2 season-opener in Bahrain earlier this month before finishing fourth in the second race, putting himself in the lead of the drivers' championship to start his first full campaign in the category.

Were the Briton to go on and win the F2 title, he would be unable to return to the championship, seemingly putting pressure on current McLaren drivers Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne in his bid to grab an F1 seat.

Asked if he wanted to try and complicate McLaren's driver plans for the future by winning the F2 title, 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 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."

Norris has risen through the ranks of motorsport stretching back to Formula 4 in 2015, but conceded that 2019 could be the first year he is unable to make the next step up the ladder if he did win the F2 title but could not secure an F1 seat.

"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."

Norris may find himself in a similar position to existing McLaren driver Vandoorne, who won the F2 title in 2015 but could not secure an F1 seat with the team for the following season, prompting the team to send the Belgian to Japan to race in Super Formula for the year.