Lando Norris’ McLaren’s future was being questioned last year. Amid Perez’s poor form, Norris was linked to Red Bull. The 24-year-old himself suggested that he’d like to race alongside Max Verstappen as teammates. Yet, Norris ended up staying at McLaren, who now have the fastest car on the grid. On the latest episode of the Beyond the Grid podcast, the Papaya driver was asked if this development was the reason he signed the multi-year McLaren contract and decided to stay.
“I had my faith and I had my belief that we can be here doing this. I probably didn’t believe it would come as quickly as this and don’t think pretty many of us did”, he answered.
However, he was himself surprised by such a quick turnaround. He added, “I don’t think any of us expected to be here almost so quickly.”
WCC standings after 9️⃣ races: 2023 vs 2024
That leap in performance by McLaren over the past 12 months is #F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/ExMbCIuhly
— Autosport (@autosport) June 10, 2024
When Red Bull came lurking for Norris, Zak Brown made a firm statement revealing how there was no release clause in the Bristol-born driver’s contract. The McLaren driver went on to explain how they stepped up massively following the changes made to the team.
Although Norris and Co. are extremely happy with their progress, they are aiming for more. The Brit seems disappointed with second placed results now as he knows that the car is capable of winning races. Norris’ self-critical nature also comes into play while making such comments.
The four-year contract signed in 2022 seems to be paying off with McLaren in the fight for the constructors championship. On the other hand, Norris is also in with a chance to fight for the driver’s championship.
Lando Norris Confident in McLaren; Believes They Can Win the Championship
Verstappen is leading the drivers championship by 81 points gap to Norris. In the constructor’s championship, McLaren trails Red Bull by 87 points. Teams aren’t even halfway into the season yet, and McLaren has the fastest car now. Given Norris’ pace in Austria, it’s only a matter of time before the Brit starts decreasing the gap to the Red Bull driver.
“I mean, I think so,” replied Norris when asked if he considers himself a title contender. He added, “But Max needs to stop winning in order to achieve that”, as he explained how the gap to Verstappen will only be reduced if the Brit starts taking race wins away from the Dutchman.
In the constructors, Sergio Perez is massively struggling to contribute any major points. It is Verstappen who’s keeping those constructors alive for Red Bull. But with Norris and Piastri both putting in solid performances, it’s only a matter of time before McLaren takes the lead away from the Milton Keynes-based outfit.
