SUMMARY
- Lando Norris secures a new 'multi-year' contract with McLaren, dispelling Red Bull speculations.
- McLaren CEO Zak Brown maintains secrecy about Norris's contract, sparking speculation about its terms and duration.
Ever since his Formula 1 debut, Lando Norris has exhibited determination and loyalty towards McLaren. However, the driver was slated to be out of contract by the end of the 2025 season. But the Woking-based team decided to renew his contract terms, altering his destiny. At the mere age of 24, Norris has inked a new, undisclosed ‘multi-year’ contract with the team.
The team is optimistic that this news will put an end to speculations linking Norris, as one of the grid’s top drivers, to a potential shift to Red Bull. The reigning champions are in dilemma on whether to extend the contract of Sergio Perez who consistently performed badly in 2023. The Austrian outfit reportedly approached several high-yielding drivers, including Norris and Daniel Ricciardo.
McLaren CEO takes a mysterious stance on contract details
Speculations gained momentum following a sluggish start to the season, but surprisingly, they witnessed improved results. Securing a sixth-place finish in the world championship solidified his decision to remain with McLaren. Having participated in 104 races and notching up 13 podium finishes, the British driver has his eyes set on the championship title in the upcoming 2024 season.
Why so secretive over contract length when you were so open last time? 👀
Zak Brown: “Because it’s our business….sometimes you discuss it sometimes you don’t.”
( that told us 🤫)#F1 #McLaren pic.twitter.com/Q0n7duEDIE
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) January 26, 2024
However, this sudden move seems to be a consequence of desperation. When the CEO of the papaya team was questioned about the duration or terms of Norris’ contract, Brown said, “Sometimes you discuss it, sometimes you don’t. We see no reason to advertise any details of anybody’s contract.” The only driver with the longest contract on the grid, slated to end in 2028, is none other than Max Verstappen.
Addressing reporters recently, Norris acknowledged preliminary talks with Red Bull. Yet, he pointed out that such discussions between teams and drivers are standard practice in Formula 1.
Norris asserts major team dynamics shift with Oscar Piastri
Lando Norris has expressed that facing Oscar Piastri as his McLaren teammate has been more challenging compared to Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo. During their time as colleagues, Norris and Sainz performed evenly, forming a close friendship dubbed ‘Carlando’. However, the arrival of the Aussie driver and Sainz’s departure saw the Briton’s clear dominance over the former.
Lando Norris on his relationship with teammate Oscar Piastri 🤝
“Oscar is an extremely talented driver, he’s a hard worker. He helped the team massively, we work together very well because we have the same target, we want to be champions & we want to win races…”#F1 #McLaren pic.twitter.com/dSlPSEUoMw
— McLaren F1 News 🏴🇦🇺 (@TheMcLarenZone) January 27, 2024
By the end of the previous campaign, Norris had a significant points lead over his rookie teammate, Piastri. However, as per the 24-year-old, “Already he gave me a good challenge last year, and I think we’ve worked together very well. When you have a driver and a team-mate who can push you that little bit more, it’s only going to make you even more ready. So that’s what I had last year.”
Despite Piastri’s victory in Qatar, indicating his emergence in Formula 1, Norris acknowledges that it took Piastri some races to hit peak performance. In stark contrast to his past teammates, Norris views the Kiwi as a notably formidable competitor.