Lando Norris is a "franchise driver" and is as good as Formula One icon Fernando Alonso, McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes.
The 23-year-old is set for his fifth year with McLaren and has a new teammate for 2023 in Oscar Piastri, resulting in an exciting youthful pairing in F1.
McLaren have high hopes for their future in F1, with Brown recently outlining his objective of competing for the title by 2025, and Norris is an integral part of those plans.
The team have managed to keep Norris out of the clutches of Red Bull, whom he has spoken to in the past, with the young driver tied down until 2025 and seen as a figure McLaren can build around.
Though there is still plenty for Norris to achieve in F1, Brown suggests he is comparable to two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso.
"Lando's a franchise driver. Lando's one of those guys if we put everyone in a dirt buggy and we put all the F1 drivers in a race, he'd be at the front because he's got that kind of natural talent," Brown told ESPN.
"I think he is as good as anyone on the grid, and I've felt that from day one when I put him against Fernando in the 24 Hours of Daytona, foreign car, foreign track.
"I think Fernando is as good as any F1 driver there's ever been, and Lando matches him, and depending on what time of day it was, maybe he even got him a little bit, and vice versa.
"You see that natural talent. You do get some drivers who are a one-make discipline and you throw them in a unique situation and they don't get up to speed as quickly."
Norris is still waiting for a maiden victory in F1 but he did see Mercedes' George Russell – someone he raced alongside during their junior careers – secure a win last season.
Brown feels that will provide encouragement for the forthcoming campaign.
"He wants to be winning races, I'm sure he knows he can beat George and he has beaten George before... and he goes out and wins," Brown added.
"He's going to be anxious people he's raced with don't get too many more wins before he starts getting his."
Melbourne will see 'different' Verstappen as Mercedes hope for progress
The Formula One grid will see a "different" Max Verstappen at the Australian Grand Prix, according to Helmut Marko.
Those are foreboding words for the two-time defending world champion's rivals, among which only his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez can be considered a serious challenger following the first two races of the season.
Red Bull claimed one-twos in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, doing so in dominant fashion as Verstappen prevailed in the season opener before Perez won from pole in Jeddah.
Verstappen recovered from 15th, his qualifying hindered by a driveshaft failure, to finish second in Saudi Arabia.
But Red Bull consultant Marko expects Verstappen to produce a stronger performance at Albert Park.
"He wasn't 100 per cent fit," Marko told F1-Insider after Verstappen had battled illness in the build up to the race.
"However, he is now doing everything he can to maximise performance next time.
"We will therefore see a different Verstappen in Australia."
While Red Bull are the clear class of the field, Mercedes remain a long way off their former glories, though boss Toto Wolff has reason for optimism following fourth and fifth-place finishes for George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in Saudi Arabia and signs of progress at their factory.
"The signs we are seeing back at the factory are promising," said Wolff. "We have got to take it step by step, though, and won't get carried away until we see performance translated into lap time on track.
"The competitive order behind Red Bull is tight, with small margins having a big effect on points scored. There remains a significant gap to the front and that is ultimately what we are interested in closing."
A Red Bull-Alonso hat-trick?
The only man who has come close to challenging Red Bull is Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, who got past Perez at the start in Saudi Arabia and briefly led.
He has back-to-back third-place finishes. If he, Verstappen and Perez share the podium again, it would be first time since 2015 with the same three drivers in the top three in the first three races of the year in Formula One (Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel).
A third straight one-two for Red Bull would mark the first time they have achieved such a feat and make them to sixth team to do so.
Piastri's progress
Oscar Piastri is the only Australian on the grid, having replaced compatriot Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren.
McLaren have yet to score a point in a difficult start to the season, but Piastri qualified an encouraging ninth in Saudi Arabia before early pit stops for front wing damage for him and team-mate Lando Norris hindered their respective races.
But his qualifying performance in Jeddah offers hope he can score his first F1 point at his home grand prix, with team principal Andrea Stella praising the rookie.
"We have seen really strong progress by Oscar," Stella told Autosport. "Obviously, Lando is a complete certainty. So we know that Lando is there.
"If you look back, already in FP1 he [Piastri] was a little bit more competitive than Bahrain, then FP2 closer, then FP3 pretty much a match for Lando, capitalising in qualifying, and then very strong in the race.
"For me, I see more the sense of constant progression, which is ultimately the plan that we have with Oscar."
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 44
2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) 43
3. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 27
4. George Russell (Mercedes) 21
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 20
Constructors
1. Red Bull 87
2. Mercedes 41
3. Aston Martin 35
4. Ferrari 26
5. Alpine 8
Marquez to miss Argentina GP after undergoing hand surgery
Marc Marquez has been ruled out of next weekend's Argentina Grand Prix after undergoing surgery on his hand.
The six-time MotoGP champion suffered a fracture to the first metacarpal bone in his right hand in Sunday's Portuguese Grand Prix.
Repsol Honda confirmed on Monday that Marquez was operated on at the Ruber Internacional Hospital in Madrid and will spend a short period recuperating.
As a result of sitting out the next round in Argentina, the Spaniard will also miss the double long-lap penalty imposed on him by the FIM
Marquez was found guilty of irresponsible riding in Portimao when ploughing into Miguel Oliveira at Turn 3 early in the race, resulting in both riders dramatically crashing out.
The 30-year-old also forced Jorge Martin wide, which saw his compatriot lose several positions.
Speaking after the race, which he entered in pole position, Marquez accepted blame for the collision that cut his opening race of the season short.
"The most important is that Miguel is okay," he said. "I made a big mistake on Turn 3, in the first part, and this created everything.
"I braked and had a massive lock with the front tyre. That meant that I released the brakes. My intention was to go to the left side.
"But the bike stayed on a lean and I couldn't avoid going to the right side. I was able to avoid Martin but couldn't avoid Miguel. I was very worried because the contact was big.
"I already said it personally – but I want to say sorry to him, to his team, to the Portuguese fans.
"I have been penalised for that mistake with a double long lap penalty, that I completely, completely agree."
Marquez hit with double long-lap penalty for Portimao smash
Marc Marquez has been hit with a double long-lap penalty following his Portuguese Grand Prix crash on Sunday.
The six-time MotoGP champion started on pole in Portimao, but a costly mistake brought his race to a premature end.
Marquez ploughed into Miguel Oliveira at Turn 3 early in the race, resulting in both riders dramatically crashing out.
The Spaniard also forced Jorge Martin wide, which saw his compatriot lose several positions.
Marquez could miss the next round in Argentina, as he waits to discover if he suffered a fracture to the first metacarpal bone in his right hand.
If he is passed fit for that race, the 30-year-old will face a penalty after the stewards ruled that he was guilty of irresponsible riding.
Marquez said: "Honestly speaking, I am not worried about Argentina. Today, the most important is that Miguel is okay. Because I did a big mistake on Turn [3], in the first part, and this created everything.
"I braked and had a massive lock with the front tyre. That meant that I released the brakes. My intention was to go to the left side. But the bike stayed on a lean and I couldn't avoid going to the right side.
"I was able to avoid Martin but couldn't avoid Miguel. I was very worried for him because the contact was big.
"I already said it personally – but I want to say sorry to him, to his team, to the Portuguese fans. I have been penalised for that mistake with a double long lap penalty, that I completely, completely agree.
"But apart from that, I have a few injuries – my hand, my knee. We need to check. Let's see. At the moment it's not the most important, my situation."
Oliveira suffered from a contusion in his right leg on home soil in a race that was won by Francesco Bagnaia, who completed a double after his success in the sprint race on Saturday.
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