Why McLaren already has perfect Norris or Piastri replacement

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are entering their third in partnership together, forming one of the most formidable line-ups on the grid at McLaren.

Norris – a star of McLaren’s driver programme – has been its beacon of hope since his promotion to F1 in 2019, whilst Piastri is a shining talent who has already shown a ruthlessness to have the best car on the grid.

Piastri was a successful product of Alpine’s driver academy, a programme which supported the Australian to consecutive Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles – an accomplishment which creates the expectation that an F1 drivers’ title is a matter of when, rather than if.

However, Piastri sensationally left Alpine in 2022 after McLaren CEO Zak Brown snatched at the chance to poach the 23-year-old. The move involved the FIA's Contract Recognition Board, making it one of the most-followed driver moves in recent F1 history.

Very few drivers ever get to triumph in an F1 race, and even fewer win two in their first two seasons. Norris and Piastri are exciting talents boasting world champion potential, glimpses of which were seen in 2024.

A healthy relationship is held between the pair, which made life for team principal Andrea Stella that much easier when team orders in favour of Norris were eventually introduced in the latter stages of last year.

But the two will start on a fresh slate this year and they will be allowed to battle one another - albeit while not overstepping the boundaries that have been internally discussed.

Despite McLaren's position at the head of F1, where it finds itself in the best position it has been in since 2008, both Norris and Piastri’s names have been linked with moves elsewhere in recent times.

Keeping a driver for their entire career is very rare in F1, which is why McLaren must already prepare for the future whenever one of its bright stars heads to a new home.

However, the famous papaya outfit might already have its next huge star in its ranks from the most unlikely of backgrounds. McLaren Formula E driver Taylor Barnard could be the answer to the potential headache.

What could make Norris or Piastri quit McLaren?

Money, a better car, intra-team tension, unhappiness, broken down relations, an desire for a fresh start or a new challenge - they are just over a handful of reasons why any F1 driver might seek a new team.

But looking specifically at Norris and Piastri, what could the lead reasons be for a shock exit from McLaren?

F1 is in a strange time period as it enters what could be its most competitive season in history, with one eye on the fast-approaching possibility of the pecking order having a major shake-up.

The new power unit regulations in 2026, as well as the chassis change, offer a gigantic push of the reset button.

McLaren might be entering the final season of the current regulations at the top of the tree but could find itself aggressively pushed back in the order in just over 12 months' time.

It is one of the greatest reasons why Max Verstappen has been linked to a Red Bull exit at the end of next year, should the Milton Keynes-based team struggle to adjust to the pressures of being an OEM.

Whilst McLaren will remain a Mercedes customer when the new regulations start, would Norris or Piastri look elsewhere if the team are not in a position where victories and podiums are possible on a regular basis?

There is more to the McLaren story, though, even looking ahead to 2025. It has been stressed by Stella and Brown that the team does not have a lead driver, an approach also taken by Ferrari.

It is a brave decision and one which opens the door to potential intra-team trouble, especially if McLaren’s MCL39 is, as expected, the strongest car on the grid.

For the first time in the careers of Norris and Piastri, both drivers are set to enter the new season with: A) A car that can win a drivers’ title, and B) the experience of fighting for and claiming race wins against the very best in the sport, notably, Verstappen.

If both drivers are battling for the same race wins, that could create problems for McLaren’s senior figures to solve.

In a title fight which includes both drivers of the same team, neither driver will want to see the other beat them to glory, with Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in 2016 being an excellent example.

Whilst this theory is entirely speculative and hypothetical, Barnard could be McLaren’s answer if Norris or Piastri opt for a change in scenery.

Barnard’s remarkable story

But just who is Barnard?

Born in Norwich, UK, the 20-year-old driver is taking Formula E by storm in his rookie season. 

The McLaren FE driver has claimed three podiums from the first four races, as well as a pole position.

He stunned the paddock with a podium in last December’s São Paulo season-opener, before finishing third and then second in last weekend’s two races at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

Staggeringly, his electric start to his debut campaign has put him second in the drivers’ championship, just 17 points behind an important figure in his life, Oliver Rowland.

Barnard has swagger, confidence, pace, bags of talent and a general likability, similar to both Norris and Piastri. Crucially, the young Briton is also an exceptionally fast learner.

In FE, rookies tend to thrive or immediately dive; what Barnard is doing is thriving on a never-seen-before level. His display as a rookie in one of the most difficult-to-master categories in the world is remarkable.

FE is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it is a world championship and boasts a strong field. Barnard, like all young drivers, has ambition for F1 - unfortunately, the cards have not been dealt particularly well in his favour throughout his junior career.

If not for Rowland’s support, Barnard’s motorsport career would have likely ended in British karting, as the finances were not in place to move to the European scene. Rowland stepped in and helped Barnard progress, where his star quality continued to shine.

In 2020 he finished runner-up in the European Karting Championship to  Kimi Antonelli. Unlike Antonelli, Barnard did not receive significant support in Formula 3 or Formula 2, leaving him with uncompetitive outfits – Jenzer Motorsport and AIX Racing.

Nevertheless, he secured sprint victory in Monaco F2 last year, before not competing in the second half of the campaign, mostly to focus on being promoted by McLaren to a full-time FE seat – he had been its reserve and development driver. 

Ultimately, why Barnard?

McLaren would look foolish to overlook Barnard should it require a new driver in the next couple of years.

Whilst not part of the official F1 development programme, he is a member of the company as one of its FE drivers.

Brown will surely be keeping tabs on his progress, especially if he continues to be in the title fight mix. 

Now that he is showing what he can do on the world stage, his financial struggles in the past are exactly that - a thing of the past.

His ability as a first learner is a huge advantage for McLaren, as he would likely be able to support whichever driver he is alongside. Barnard not moving to F1 at some point would be a huge disappointment, in what is currently FE’s gain.

Barnard has a long career ahead of him and all the skills required to perform at the highest level. The question is, will he get the chance to ever do that in F1?