Lando Norris admits he is already unhappy with his McLaren deal just TWO days after signing it

Lando Norris, McLaren, Canada, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Lando Norris admits he is already unhappy with his McLaren deal just TWO days after signing it

Norris: Show me the money!

Dan Ripley Global Editor

Professional F1 journalist and analyst

Monday 31 August 2026 13:54

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The inks not even dry on Lando Norris's new McLaren contract and already the world champion isn't happy with it.

On Saturday (August 29), the British star penned a new deal with the team he has driven for during his entire Formula 1 career that started in 2019, extending his stay until 2030 in what would be a joint record 12th season - matching Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.

But it's Hamilton who is part of the focus for Norris's latest complaint along with four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

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Well, not directly them but more the salaries they earn. Hamilton is on a blockbuster deal with Ferrari earning around £46million per year after joining them from Mercedes in 2025. Verstappen meanwhile has also renewed a deal with Red Bull until 2030, taking his salary up to a record breaking £51m per year.

Norris is the in-form driver in F1 right now having won the last two grands prix but he still trails championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 83 points, and is still 24 points behind Hamilton.

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Norris: I'm worth more

While not disclosing his improved salary with McLaren, reports claim Norris's new deal with the team is around £30m per year. However, he feels this still isn't enough, despite conceding he doesn't yet have the status nor achievements to match Hamilton or Verstappen.

Norris told the Telegraph: “I mean, I feel I should earn as much as them, but it is certainly not close to the figures that I’ve been seeing online, sadly!”

“Of course, it is a bit more [than the last contract], as it is with any job when you kind of extend. But it’s certainly not close to the level of Lewis or Max.

“Which, in a way, it shouldn’t be, because I’ve not achieved as much as what they’ve achieved in their careers. But in another way, I believe it should be, because I believe I can fight against them whenever I need to, and I can do a better job whenever I need to. So yeah, I guess I have two opinions on it.

“I’m working on it. I don’t know when my next extension or renewal will be, but hopefully I can try and match [them] one day. But no, I dream of seeing those figures that I’ve seen online.”

Norris believes his talent is enough to match the salary of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton

Norris only wanted McLaren

Norris otherwise is delighted with his new McLaren deal, insisting he still has more to achieve with the team despite having already helped them win the drivers' and constructors' championship:

He said: “McLaren is my home, and I’m very pleased to be signing a new contract to keep me with the team until at least 2030.

"When I started this journey nine years ago, I was clear about the goals I wanted to achieve: to get McLaren back to the front and to win championships. We’ve achieved that goal, but we want more, we want to keep on winning, and we know as a team that we’re capable of achieving it.

"I can’t wait to get back in the car in Monza and I’m very excited about what the future holds for us, both over the rest of this season, and in the coming years.”

Other teams wanted Norris

Norris even admitted there was interest from other teams, perhaps also offering him a bigger bumper pay rise, but insisted that he never entertained the idea of leaving McLaren.

"There was some interest from elsewhere," Norris said in an interview with BBC Sport, "but I don't want to go anywhere. I don't want to be with another team. I don't want to spend time with other people.

"That's why it really was probably one of the easiest decisions I've made since being in Formula 1."

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Written by

Dan Ripley - Global Editor

I've been a massive F1 fan since the mid 1990s and continue to study the history of the sport long before that. As an experienced motor sport reporter covering F1, MotoGP and the LeMans 24 Hour race, being part of GPFans has allowed me to work with a diverse team with all sorts of different backgrounds in watching the sport and given me a greater appreciation of F1.

View full biography

F1 Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton McLaren Lando Norris