McLaren possess on of the most sought-after assets in Formula 1 in the form of Lando Norris, with the 22-year-old being tipped by many as a world champion in the making.
The Brit came ever so close to his maiden win last year in Russia, but a mix up in communication with his team about the upcoming weather conditions saw Norris slide off the track and hand the win to Lewis Hamilton.
McLaren gave Norris his F1 debut in 2019, signing the rookie to partner Carlo Sainz, with whom he built a very strong friendship over the course of their two years together.
With a seventh place finish this year, Norris has established himself as the best of the rest behind the Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull drivers, leading some to wonder show much he could achieve should he be given the machinery to compete with the better teams.
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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has revealed that his team have shown interest in signing the 22-year-old in the past, with Norris deciding to reject their advances in favour of staying loyal to McLaren.
“We’ve talked to Lando a couple of times over the years, but every time we’ve had a conversation, he’s signed a contract with McLaren the next day,” said Horner.
Norris has explained that it is McLaren’s honesty and trust in their process that has tempted him to stay with the team, but has however hinted that he could make a switch in the future.
“It’s just faith, it’s just honesty, that’s the main thing I need. I’m not a guy who in any way likes BS, or who likes people trying to make me happy. I just like people being honest,” explained the McLaren driver.
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“I have faith in McLaren, I have faith in the guys I works with, the whole team. But time will tell. You can never be a hundred percent certain where you are going to be, but you can have a good shot at it.”
McLaren’s decision to hand Norris a multi-year contract will provide the Brit with the security that is so hard to come by in Formula 1, showing that the team equally have faith in their driver.
With Sergio Perez’s contract expiring at the end of 2024, many fans have pointed out that a switch to Red Bull could be on the cards for Norris in 2025, as this would have given him more than enough time to analyse the success of McLaren’s project.