NORRIS COMMITS TO MCLAREN
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Lando Norris has become the first out-of-contract driver to sign a new deal as Mclaren moved to secure a multi-year arrangement with him for “2022 and beyond”. It’s a logical move for the in-form Norris, who has demonstrated consistent improvement since making his F1 debut with Mclaren in 2019.
Norris joined Mclaren’s young driver programme in 2017 after impressing the team with his performance in its simulator – which came as part of his prize for winning what was then known as the Mclaren Autosport BRDC Award. He then finished as runner-up to George Russell in Formula 2 the following year.
In 2020 Norris secured his maiden F1 podium in the opening round of the season, with a combative drive in Austria, and he has claimed two more this year already – most recently in Monaco. His original three-year contract was due to elapse at the end of this season, but he explained that while he is perfectly happy at Mclaren he was initially rather reticent to make the first move in negotiations.
“It was something I brought up when I went to dinner with Zak a while ago,” said Norris. “He was talking a little bit about the future and I was just like: ‘You know, about these future years, is it something we want to start talking about now? Is it something you want to talk about later in the season?’
“Just because I don’t know when or how to bring it up, just like a guy talking to a girl for the first time, so it was a bit awkward. I think they had already started talking about it as a team, between Zak and Andreas [Seidl, team principal] and so on. And it was something that I preferably wanted to get out the way as soon as possible.
“We started talking and it all flowed from that. It was just a bit of a weird one for me to bring up, because I’ve not been in that position before.”
Norris’s new deal is understood to be worth £6m a year, an increase on his present salary of £4m. Team principal Andreas Seidl described the decision as “very straightforward”.
“He’s an integral part of our performance recovery plan and his record so far has shown he’s a formidable competitor,” Seidl said. “Like him, we have strong ambitions for our future together and I’m pleased we’re continuing this journey for both Lando and the team.”
“IT WAS JUST A BIT OF A WEIRD ONE FOR ME TO BRING UP, BECAUSE I’VE NOT BEEN IN THAT POSITION BEFORE”
LANDO NORRIS