The 17-year-old took the lead of the F3 standings with three rounds remaining last weekend at Zandvoort, where he took two victories to take his season tally to seven.

Sources in the paddock at the Dutch circuit indicated that he is leaning towards a move to Prema, which leads this year's F2 title race with Ferrari protege Charles Leclerc, for 2018.

Norris tested for the Italian squad’s sister operation Prema Powerteam in F3 last autumn, before doing a deal with Carlin for 2017.

Both Prema and Norris’s management played down the speculation.

Prema team manager Rene Rosin would only say “no comment”, while Mark Berryman of Norris’s management stable ADD Motorsports told Motorsport.com: “It’s just a rumour.”

Although Prema is closely linked to the Ferrari Driver Academy by running many of its drivers, and Norris is a McLaren protege, this should not affect his chances of securing a seat with the team.

FDA prospect Guan Yu Zhou, for example, raced for Motopark in F3 in 2016 as teammate to two Red Bull Juniors.

A move to Prema for Norris would be a sensible move, according to BRDC president Derek Warwick.

Warwick said: “I think he is ready for F1, but if I was his management team I would put him at Prema in F2 for 2018 because another year of top-line racing would do no harm, and there are no gaps in the market.”