McLaren Autosport Award

[old man]

I was looking for a thread on this subject but could not find one so will kick it off here as it involves a "drive" contract with McLaren

In the past this award carried a cash prize that was intended to be used as budget for the next step up the ladder. Frankly it was never quite enough on its own and so relied on the driver to complete the deal.

This year, if I have understood correctly, as well as a test drive with the F1 team the winner is a paid staff member at McLaren and has a deal as simulator driver. It seems McLaren have effectively tied up this very talented 17 year old rather than leave him on the open market with a budget.

Is this indicative of the way the ladder to F1 is shorter, can we expect Lando Norris to be on the grid in 2018?

[knighty]

He dosent need the money, he has very wealthy backers already, it looks like he has just done it for the recognition and to open doors......he is already competing in F3 with Carlin and competed at Macau before he won this award

[bella]

i'm kind of surprised none of the teams have gone for him already to be honest. he does have everything in his favour - tons more track time than all of his opponents, all the resources, all the backing to make sure he has a great car for any championship. but he has also delivered... and you can't knock that.

not sure it was a golden year for driver talent in the award this year, but he'd have probably thrashed them anyway.

[peebee2]

I think there are concerns with his size and strength to handle bigger cars with more downforce. Was going to do F3 this year but worries whether he was strong enough meant they went Renault, despite a lot of private F3 testing in 2015.

An obvious winner of the award this year who will hopefully help recover its reputation after some of the truly awful choices of the last decade or so when they often seemed to have chosen some with the most appalling attitudes

[bella]

don't mean to be rude but he's built like a mid-teenager now instead of the 11 year old he was at the start of the year, so he's definitely getting there.

there was still quite a lot of private testing going on in '16 wasn't there?

agree about some of the past winners, and with them being cagey about the selection process and justification it's often been a bit... weird. last year in particular....

[S griffin]

Time will tell if he can get to F1, he has the talent, he just needs to use it

[BSchneiderFan]

I think 2018 may be a bit early for him to make it to Formula 1 (pace Max Verstappen) but he certainly seems to have the skill. Has won pretty much everything he's contested. I expect him to do very well in F3 next year.

[old man]

I am in no way questioning the winner, certainly the best of that group and my connections are in no doubt about his ability.

My question is rather about the award itself, the candidates were down to 4 finalists not 6 as before and the cash award has gone. Instead we now have a direct employment contract with an F1 team. It doesn't appear to be a contest that you chose to enter although you can obviously lobby the magazine, it now looks like a McLaren junior team selection process.

Subtle shift?

[bella]

to be fair the cash bit is pretty insignificant next to budgets for the winners next seasons racing. it's far more sensible for it to be a money can't buy type opportunity - well ok money can buy it but...

[old man]

Originally Posted by bella

to be fair the cash bit is pretty insignificant next to budgets for the winners next seasons racing. it's far more sensible for it to be a money can't buy type opportunity - well ok money can buy it but...

Very true, the award last year IIRC was £100,000, a substantial sum but Euro F3 has a budget requirement of €700 - 900,000, approaching the GP2 figure and more than GP3 which comes in at a bargain €600ish according to my connections.

The winner this year, as has been pointed out by people earlier, is not seeking budget, this opportunity would seem better in some ways and he will still race in his chosen series.

What of the future? A cash prize big enough to get the drive a young charger would want is now out of reach I think.