2009 F1 Drivers’ Champion Jenson Button has raised serious concerns about Lando Norris’ future prospects at McLaren.
The 43-year-old said that he was surprised to see Norris sign such a long-term deal with the team. Button thinks that at this stage of Norris’ career, a driver needs to be in a world championship-winning car as soon as possible.
Button himself took a while before he registered his first pole position and race win. After making his Formula 1 debut in 2000, the Brit registered his first pole position in the 2004 season, the year he finished third in the championship.
Meanwhile, Button’s first race win came in the 2006 season, his seventh year in F1.
The 43-year-old won the Hungarian Grand Prix, a race he has won on two occasions. As for his first and only Drivers’ Championship, it came in the 2009 season with the Brawn GP F1 team.
Since it took him a while to get both his first win and his only Drivers’ Championship, Button most likely knows the importance of winning early for young drivers like Norris.
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‘You never know where teams will be in 3 years’: Button
In an interaction with Sky Sports F1, Jenson Button raised concerns about Lando Norris’ long-term deal as he explained how drivers never know where a team will be in a few years. Norris signed a four-year extension with McLaren last year, with the contract now set to end at the end of the 2025 season.
Speaking of the same, Button said, “For Lando, it was surprising that he signed such a long contract at the start of his career. We all want to be team players but you never know where the team is going to be in three years.”
However, Button did point out that McLaren has the experience of getting back to the top, having won multiple championships. He concluded his remarks by stating that the team now need to stay together and develop the car as well as they can.
Lando Norris aims to fight for titles with McLaren
After signing a long-term deal with McLaren last year, Lando Norris revealed his desire to help the team fight for race wins and titles. The 23-year-old said that he could see the team’s ‘commitment’ to making the car more competitive and getting them back to the top.
The Brit also explained the importance of the team bond as he added, “Teams are about people, and I love the people and feel at home at McLaren. I have grown up in this team and I’m part of this journey we’re all on.”
After a strong 2021 season, Norris had another strong season last year. The McLaren driver scored 160 points in 2021, a year in which he finished on the podium on four occasions.
While he was not able to better that performance in 2022, he yet delivered extremely strong results. Norris finished 2022 with 122 points and finished on the podium on just one occasion.
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