Lando Norris has shared his thoughts on his recent contract extension with McLaren, which effectively rules out a potential move to Mercedes for the young British driver.
Despite interest from Red Bull and Mercedes last year, Norris, 24, opted to solidify his allegiance to McLaren after securing seven podium finishes.
The unexpected announcement of Lewis Hamilton’s forthcoming switch to Ferrari for the upcoming season would have presented an opening for Norris to join George Russell at Mercedes.
However, with Norris’s existing contract extending until the conclusion of 2025, there was no immediate pressure for him to prolong his commitment for an additional year.
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When questioned about any misgivings regarding his contract extension in light of Hamilton’s surprising move, Norris expressed contentment, stating to RaceFans.net:
“I’m very happy. I could have waited, I had the choice. I knew opportunities were potentially coming my way.”
He continued, “I’m confident in my team, I’m confident in what we’ve been able to achieve and what we can achieve going into the future and I’m very happy with where I am.”
Despite his consistent performance with McLaren, including 13 podium finishes over five seasons, Norris is yet to secure a race victory.
Reflecting on McLaren’s progress, Norris acknowledged, “We had a decent car at the end of last season and I think we’ve definitely taken some steps in the right direction.”
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However, he also noted the team’s substantial gap behind Red Bull and Ferrari, indicating the necessity for continued efforts to improve their competitiveness.
He concluded optimistically, “So there’s plenty of work for us to still try and achieve.
But also plenty of things that we’ve learned over the last few days (during testing) for us to implement before next week (when the season begins in Bahrain).”
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1870340/Lando-Norris-McLaren-Mercedes-F1-news