Lando Norris is one of the most promising young drivers in Formula One. He made his debut at McLaren in 2019 and immediately impressed everyone with his driving. The same year, only after a few races, the Briton received a pay raise of about $2,600,000. While many would consider giving themselves a treat for such an achievement, Norris couldn’t choose anything to treat himself for this achievement.
In 2019, Norris’ salary was about $470,000 at McLaren. However, knowing the British driver’s potential and capabilities, the McLaren team was so impressed that they decided to test his services before another team poached him. He received a massive pay rise that year, which cemented his place at Papayas.
Lando Norris had nothing to celebrate his new contract
According to the book Lando Norris: The Biography, the British driver agreed on a new deal with McLaren in 2019, worth around £2.5 million a year. It was a significant increase from his previous salary of $470,000. Yet, The McLaren driver has said that he has not bought anything yet to celebrate his new contract.
Wow.. that’s a colossal pay raise.
Credits: Lando Norris Biography by Ben Hunt pic.twitter.com/uK2VqeNd07
— F1 Library (@dnf_fastest) September 7, 2023
Norris said, “I’ve not bought anything yet to celebrate the new contract. It was agreed just after Austria,” he explained. “But I’d not spoken to the team much about it. I just got told by my manager that the team had extended.”
The young Briton driver stated that he has just started playing golf but needs to get some skills before buying new clubs. He added that negotiations for his new contract were agreed soon after Austria, but he and the team didn’t talk much about it. All Norris was told by his boss was that the group had expanded its contract.
Norris’s salary soars as he becomes one of F1’s top drivers
Since the last four years, Norris has significantly grown. The British driver currently has 75 points to his name, having secured podium finish twice in 2023. He has come to be one of the most popular drivers on the grid and is currently seen as one of the favorites to win the title.
In fact, Norris’s prominence has only made McLaren raise his salary. In four years, he has gone from earning $2.6 million to $20 million per year. This makes him the one of the highest-paid drivers in Formula One, behind the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
Lando Norris’ new McLaren contract is understood to consist of an annual salary of up to £20 million, per @PhilDuncanF1. pic.twitter.com/4hbJAnJSK3
— formularacers (@formularacers_) February 10, 2022
Norris’s salary hike is a reflection of his growing value to McLaren. They want to keep him on the squad for the long term since he is now their star driver. However, other teams have become interested in Norris as a result of his ascent.
Red Bull adviser, Helmut Marko has shown his interest in Norris indirectly while talking about his contracts. Currently, Red Bull have been struggling with Sergio Perez, who has lacked consistency.
Norris’ contract with McLaren is till 2025 and the Papays will be hoping to retain him even after that, considering the recent results. If McLaren again want to win Championship, the Briton will surely will be a part playing in it and his recent performances are just a testament to that.
