F1 News: Lando Norris reveals CRUCIAL save that kept him at McLaren

Lando Norris, Bahrain GP, McLaren, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Norris reveals CRUCIAL save that kept him at McLaren

McLaren's continuous improvement has played a pivotal role

Yara Elshebiny

Tuesday 16 April 2024 13:57

Lando Norris has revealed a turning point that secured his future with McLaren.

Norris has emerged as a true star in Formula 1, consistently battling for podium finishes, with the last one coming at the 2024 Australian GP, where he claimed a strong third place.

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But his recent contract extension with McLaren wasn't always a foregone conclusion. Early in the 2023 season, McLaren's performance fell short, raising questions about the Brit's future.

The tide began to turn dramatically when the team implemented significant upgrades that transformed their car's competitiveness and secured them a fourth-place finish in the constructors' championship.

This turnaround, as well as the team's continuous improvements, have played a key role in Norris' decision to commit to the Woking outfit long-term.

Norris extended his McLaren deal beyond 2025

Norris on his McLaren commitment

While Norris' contract originally extended to 2025, he didn't feel pressured to make a hasty decision.

"[The future] wasn't something that I even needed to think of, because I still had a contract for '25," he explained to RACER. "So I wasn’t in a rush to do anything."

However, he admits to having an inkling of McLaren's potential.

"I still knew, a little bit further back, what was in the pipeline and what potential things were coming. Which is when things started to get quite a bit better."

"So I kind of knew that for a little time, the potential was there, and it was the highest potential step we’ve ever had. But it wasn’t something I thought of.

Norris finished 2023 in sixth on 205 points

"It wasn’t like, ‘OK, I’ve got a whole plan prepared for if things go well, and a whole plan for if things go wrong’. It was just more if the year ended and things weren’t great, or even a little bit earlier, then things would have started to be thought of.

“But I’m never one to kind of think too much ahead. I’m very happy with just dealing with what I’ve got to do now and taking one weekend at a time, rather than thinking ‘OK, I want to do this to make sure this is ready and that’s ready’.

"I’m not too fussed by that and I was in a happy place with how I’ve been doing myself, so it wasn’t something I really had to be worried about."

Ultimately, it was McLaren's impressive progress that sealed the deal for Norris.

"I just wasn’t in a rush to do anything. But it’s flipped on its head and it’s gone into being successful and on a good trend – a continuing trend – and that’s what then incentivised me to stay on for even longer."

Red Bull McLaren Lando Norris Horner