This new contract keeps Norris two seasons past teammate Daniel Ricciardo, whose current deal is through the 2023 campaign.
McLaren Racing secured one of Formula One's rising stars in a multi-year contract extension, again.
After signing one last May, Lando Norris put pen to paper and committed to a new four-year deal, confirming the news on Wednesday via TikTok. Since making his Formula One debut in 2019 with McLaren, Norris has continued to improve year over year, claiming four podium finishes and a first F1 pole position during the '21 campaign.
His relationship with the team began in 2017, when the then-17-year-old impressed McLaren while testing in the MCL32 in Hungary. He served as the test and reserve driver in '17 and '18 before being called up to a full-time seat for the '19 campaign.
“Teams are about people, and I love the people and feel at home at McLaren. I have grown up in this team and I’m part of this journey we’re all on,” the 22-year-old said in Wednesday's announcement. “Last season was another great step, both in my career and the team’s performance, and I see and feel all the work, investment, and commitment for the team to be in a position to challenge for wins and titles in the future. This all gives me huge confidence looking forward, so it was a natural decision to extend our relationship for the next few years.”
This new contract keeps Norris two seasons past teammate Daniel Ricciardo, whose current contract is through the 2023 campaign.
Norris did reveal that other teams had approached him about his future, saying, per Formula One's Lawrence Barretto, “There were little chats here and there, but that’s all and nothing went far. As soon as something came up, that’s when I would then continue going to Andreas [Seidl, McLaren Team Principal] and have a little conversation about what our future holds and so on. There were little things [with rival teams], no point lying about it, there were little things here and there with other teams, but nothing that went far at all.”
When asked who the teams were, Norris declined to name anyone specifically. “That’s something I can’t say. You’d probably be able to guess reasonably well.”
Team principal Andreas Seidl reaffirmed McLaren's commitment to Norris, revealing that there are “no get-outs” for either side.
“The beauty of this new agreement we have in place is there's no get-outs on both sides, which is simply the important message we wanted to give to the team as well because that shows that we are in this together and that there's a strong belief from both sides,” Seidl said, per ESPN. “From our side, in the talent Lando is and at the same time from Lando's side, in believing we can actually get there in these next few years.”
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