Lando Norris open to Indianapolis 500 experience: McLaren CEO Zak Brown

Lando Norris would be open to competing in the Indianapolis 500 if McLaren ran an IndyCar team, according to Zak Brown. Norris has a long-term contract to compete for McLaren’s Formula 1 team, but given that the team also competes in other series, such as IndyCar with Arrow McLaren SP, the opportunity may one day present itself for the British driver to attempt the Indy 500 himself. Along with the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the famed 200-lap race around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one leg of motorsport’s unofficial Triple Crown.

In an interview with McLaren’s official website, Brown discussed the possibility of Formula 1 drivers switching between sports during seasons. The McLaren CEO had already made this possible when he first assumed the position, so he could see one of his current drivers doing the same in the future.

“Lando’s mentioned he’d like to do the Indy 500 one day,” Brown said. “And of course, one of my first days on the job was bringing over Fernando Alonso to do the Indy 500, which was such an awesome experience for everybody. So yeah, you know, the calendars are pretty crazy these days, but I think racing drivers like to drive racing cars and, yeah, I could see that happening.”

With Alonso in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2018 before beginning the season as a Formula 2 driver, Norris also has experience in endurance racing. McLaren’s chief executive revealed that he has his sights set on one more discipline if he could eventually make it happen. McLaren currently competes in IndyCar, Extreme E, and will take over the outgoing Mercedes Formula E team for 2023.

“I’d love to see us at Le Mans in sportscar racing,” Brown said. “We have a lot going on, the stars all need to align, be in the right place at the right time, make sure we’re happy with our existing programmes. But if I could wave a magic wand and be in one other racing series, it would be in sportscars.”