Norris set for 4-5 further FP1 appearances in 2018

McLaren has confirmed that Lando Norris will make a handful of further Formula 1 practice appearances through the remainder of the 2018 season ahead of his step up to a full-time race seat next year.

Norris, 18, made his first F1 race weekend appearance in FP1 for the Belgian Grand Prix last month before enjoying a second outing at Monza last Friday.

McLaren announced on Monday that Norris would be stepping up to a race seat for the 2019 season, partnering the incoming Carlos Sainz Jr. as incumbent drivers Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne both move on.

Team CEO Zak Brown confirmed to reporters at the McLaren Technology Centre on Tuesday that Norris would get a number of additional FP1 sessions before the end of the season, but only on weekends where he did not have Formula 2 race duties as well.

“We’ll put him in for another four or five Free Practice 1s,” Brown confirmed.

“I think we’ll try and keep him away from some of the Formula 2 weekends. The ‘hurry up, get out of there in FP1 and go and run to Formula 2’, I don’t think has done him any favours the last few races.

“I think that while the Free Practice 1s have been really good for us, he’s made the comment to me that he actually feels more comfortable in the Formula 1 car now than in the Formula 2.

“We’d like to see him win the Formula 2 championship, which he’s still got a chance at. But he’s got to hustle.”

Of the seven F1 races remaining this season, five - Singapore, Japan, USA, Mexico and Brazil - do not have F2 support events.

Norris will also be testing for McLaren this week in the MCL33 car at Paul Ricard in the Pirelli tyre development running.