Lando Norris signs new McLaren contract after superb start to F1 career
Lando Norris has had his contract with McLaren extended to continue racing for the team for a further three years.
McLaren have shown their confidence that Norris will be central to their efforts to return to the front of the grid by announcing they will retain him before his home race, the British Grand Prix. The team have also extended the contract of his teammate, Carlos Sainz.
Norris, who is still only 19, was first signed by McLaren as a junior driver in 2017. He tested their car that year and while competing in F2 last season was the team’s reserve driver. His performances on promotion to a full race seat have proved his credentials as a potential future star of the sport .
“It’s good to see McLaren have faith in me and back up what they’ve said in that I have been doing a good job so far,” he said. “I wasn’t pushing for it. I wasn’t saying I want the deal done by Silverstone. It was out of the blue last week. It doesn’t change too much because I wasn’t thinking about it, or worried about it, but it gives me a bit more confidence.”
Norris has out-qualified his more experienced teammate Sainz six to three so far this season and has shown maturity, tenacity and finesse. He has remained optimistic in the face of two mechanical failures, reacted well to playing the team game in Monaco and did not seem at all intimidated by going wheel to wheel with the world champions Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raïkkönen. He has scored two sixthplace finishes – in Bahrain and at the last round in Austria.
McLaren’s chief executive, Zak Brown, wanted to ensure there would be stability in the team’s lineup. “Lando is in a good place, so as he gets more successful, and we get more successful, we all win together,” he said. “Given how well Lando and Carlos are doing, it was in our best interest that as silly season ramps up, we have our head down, we know what we’re doing next year, and this announcement is to end speculation or potential activity.”
McLaren are in the process of rebuilding after a period of underperformance and are beginning to display some of the form that has returned eight constructors’ and 12 drivers’ championships. They are fourth in the championship, the best of the midfield teams and 20 points in front of fifth-placed Renault.