Norris commits F1 future to McLaren

Lando Norris has committed his F1 future to McLaren with the team announcing a contract extension.

The British driver had been subjected to rumours of a potential switch to Red Bull, with both Christian Horner and Helmut Marko making reference to his talents last season.

But Norris' new deal with McLaren means he will remain with the Woking-based team until at least the end of 2026 alongside Oscar Piastri, who also signed an extension last September.

The McLaren-Norris partnership began with his F1 debut in 2019 and despite failing to secure a race victory, he has underlined his star talent in surpassing the 100-race mark in the sport.

Doubts began to rise over whether he would remain with the team given another sluggish start to the season last term but after a number of changes to management and the technical team, McLaren performed a remarkable turnaround to promote Norris and Piastri into podium-challenging positions - eventually finishing fourth in the Constructors' standings.

As part of the team's tally, Norris secured a career-best 205 points by securing seven podiums and in a statement, he said: “It’s a great feeling to be staying in papaya.

"I’ve grown up with McLaren and feel at home here, the team are like family to me. The journey so far has been exciting, we’ve had ups and downs, but last season showed our desire to get back to competing at the front of the grid.

“The work Zak [Brown, McLaren CEO], Andrea [Stella, Team Principal] and the whole team have put in over the last year has been
incredible and I’m confident in challenging for wins with McLaren.

"I’m excited to create more amazing memories and continue working hard with everyone at MTC for the next few years.”

Fantastic journey

“I’m delighted that we’re continuing our relationship with Lando for multiple years to come," said Brown.

"It’s been a fantastic journey over the last six years, and he has shown fantastic commitment and desire to push the team forward and get McLaren back to the front of the grid.

“Last season we saw the fundamental role Lando played with the impressive turnaround in results and I’m looking forward to continuing this push forward together with lots more podiums.”

Stella added: “I’m pleased to confirm the extension of our partnership with Lando on a multi-year contract beyond 2025.

"This reflects the commitment and confidence we have together, with our shared ambition to ultimately win championships again in the future.

“Lando has grown as a driver and a person since initially joining McLaren in 2017. He impressed last season, playing an important role in our progress throughout the year, securing seven podiums with many fantastic drives.

“Alongside Oscar, our exciting driver pairing will play an instrumental part in our objective to move towards the front of the grid. They have impressed in their first season together and I’m looking forward to continuing the hard work with them both on this exciting journey.”

The announcement comes a day after Charles Leclerc and Ferrari revealed a new long-term contract for the Monégasque.