Lando Norris Teases Future Carlos Sainz F1 Pairing at Barcelona Grand Prix: “In a Few Years”
Article excerpt
Lando Norris, McLaren's reigning world champion, cryptically suggested at a Barcelona fan event that he could team up with Carlos Sainz, currently driving for Williams, at some point in the future. The two haven't been teammates since 2020, but Norris's casual remark "in a few years" sparked speculation about potential driver lineup changes in Formula 1. The comment, made during a McLaren Mastercard event ahead of the 2026 Barcelona Grand Prix, hints at the fluid nature of driver contracts and team dynamics in elite motorsport.
Carlos Sainz currently races for Williams. Lando Norris is the reigning world champion at McLaren. The two men haven’t shared a garage since 2020. And yet, standing on stage at a McLaren Mastercard fan event ahead of the 2026 Barcelona Grand Prix, Norris couldn’t resist hinting that their famous partnership might not be finished with Formula 1 just yet.
Asked to say something in Spanish by the crowd, Norris played it self-deprecating first: “I’m sorry, I don’t know any Spanish. Carlos taught me a lot back in the days, but it’s been a long time.”
He continued, adding an exciting moment for fans: “Me and Carlos were speaking the other day and we said one day in Formula 1, we will have a reunion of ‘Carlando’. So… in a few years, in maybe five… five years, six years.”
The crowd reaction probably tells you everything you need to know about how much “Carlando” still means to fans.
lando: “i’m sorry i don’t know any spanish. carlos taught me a lot back in the days but it’s been a long time. actually, me and carlos were speaking the other day and we said one day in f1 we will have a reunion of carlando in a few years, maybe 5-6 years”
[:nats.formula] pic.twitter.com/NLCWEC9ugg
, ray (@ln4norris) June 13, 2026
Why This Pairing Still Has Such a Hold on F1 Fans
The friendship between the two drivers took root during their shared years at McLaren in 2019 and 2020, with fans quickly branding them “Carlando” thanks to their competitive banter, golf rivalry, and genuine chemistry during media commitments.
Sainz departed the team at the end of 2020, moving to Ferrari, where he spent four seasons before being replaced by Lewis Hamilton.
That exit didn’t affect the friendship, though. Earlier in 2026, the pair reunited under Norris’ Quadrant motorsportbrand, swapping their usual machinery for a tour through a century of karting history.
So when Norris mentions that a reunion on the F1 grid is something the two have actually discussed, it lands differently than a throwaway press-event line.
Sainz is contracted to Williams through at least the end of 2026 , and while McLaren’s seat isn’t going anywhere, F1 grids have changed in stranger ways. Five or six years is a long runway in this sport.
Before wrapping his address to the crowd, Norris called out to the sea of papaya ahead of him: “There’s a lot of papaya in the crowd today, so we appreciate it.”