F1 journalist backs STAR driver to sign huge contract

The Bahrain GP kicks off the eagerly-awaited 2023 F1 season — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 News & Gossip

F1 journalist backs STAR driver to sign huge contract

Chris Deeley

Monday 11 December 2023 10:57

F1 journalist Lawrence Barretto has claimed that Lando Norris is likely to sign another contract with McLaren, despite being one of the hottest properties on the grid.

Barretto was writing about Norris on F1.com, and revealed that the 'most likely' outcome is another extension for the young Brit, whose current deal runs until the end of 2025.

Quoted in the same article, McLaren boss Andrea Stella admitted that both driver and team are uncomfortable with the fact that Norris has yet to win his first F1 race, confessing that the Woking-based team haven't given him a winning car yet.

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Despite that failure to help the 24-year-old onto the top step of the podium, Barretto said: "According to my sources – a contract extension for Norris that takes his time at the team into 2026 and beyond is the most likely outcome."

Lando Norris had the best season of his career in 2023

Lando Norris finished second at the Singapore Grand Prix - one of six times he was the runner-up in 2023

Andrea Stella replaced Andreas Seidl as McLaren team principal last winter

Stella: It gives us extra determination

Stella was asked whether Norris' winless streak - now spanning more than 100 races - was affecting his young star driver, and was fairly non-committal in his answer.

“There’s a diplomatic political answer which is – no I don’t think it’s affecting him," he said. "But I’d rather stay away from it and say, these drivers want to win races.

“I’d rather accept the fact we haven’t put Lando in the conditions to do it yet. This is not a comfortable place. We can try and cope, but it’s not comfortable for Lando and it’s not comfortable for us. I’d rather start from accepting this, and work the best way to making this possible, rather than almost pretend that it doesn’t make any difference.

“We are here to win races. I don’t want a driver who doesn’t have this strong drive. If this makes him uncomfortable and makes us uncomfortable, we accept it. It’s going to be extra determination to create the conditions to win races.”

F1 McLaren Lando Norris Andrea Stella Lawrence Barretto