Lando Norris and McLaren have become all the rage in the F1 realm shortly after announcing a contract extension deal, which will see the Briton stay put with the Woking-based team beyond the 2025 season. The latest move comes long after Norris was once the ‘errand boy’ within the team, even fetching coffee for guest Fernando Alonso once, as seen in a video uploaded on Instagram by F1.
Norris’ career has seen a massively positive trajectory ever since he stepped into the McLaren uniform. From once serving coffee to Alonso and then disposing of the used cup, he rose through the ranks to the point where McLaren even gifted him a car in 2019. The gesture triggered another interaction between Norris and Alonso, recalling the coffee incident.
In 2022, Norris rose further through the ranks and earned his first ‘big-time’ contract in F1, with McLaren locking down his services for three more years. Soon after, he secured his first pole position for the team in papaya orange and even shared podiums with Alonso in 2023.
With the onboarding of Oscar Piastri, Norris climbed the final peak to become the senior driver in McLaren. He now stands as the foundation for all future endeavors of the Woking-based team, further highlighting the journey he has made within the team where he once served coffee.
Lando Norris – one for the future
Lando Norris and McLaren already had a preexisting contract, which kept him tied to the team until the end of the 2025 season. But with a late resurgence in 2023 and a regulation change coming in 2026, it is hardly a surprise that McLaren wanted to set their future with the British driver in stone before anyone else could swoop in.
Stability in the driver lineup seems to be the name of the game for McLaren, who now have their senior driver with them for a few more years.
The 24-year-old remains confident in his decision to renew as he eyes his maiden Grand Prix win. He claims it was an easy decision to sign for the team, given his position with the team. “I’m happy with where I am, the team (is) happy with me. So it’s an easy decision.”
Norris had the time and space to think about his future, with no close deadline to rush his decision-making. As such, he listened to proposals from other teams, but none of them were tempting enough for him to step away from the team that brought him to F1.
