Lando Norris says he chose to extend his contract with McLaren over Red Bull as he had more faith in his current team
McLaren believes their prodigy Lando Norris will restore them to their glory days. The Team had last won the Driver’s title in 2008 and has since been relegated from a championship contender to a midfield team.
McLaren is one of the most successful teams in F1’s history. And have now set a long-term vision to return to their winning days and contend for championships.
McLaren has commenced work on a brand-new simulator. They are also building their own wind tunnel which is set to be completed by the start of the 2024 season.
So with a long-term Vision set, McLaren also decided to offer their prodigy Norris a brand new 4-year-long Contract. The deal valued at over $95 Million will see the Briton earn around $20 Million per season.
Norris signed the dotted lines and claimed he was always committed to McLaren. But there were reports that McLaren felt their driver was in talks with a rival. Which Norris revealed was none other than Red Bull.
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Lando Norris confirms talks with Red Bull
When McLaren offered the new contract to Lando Norris, it seemed like a sudden decision. The 22-year-old, who finished P6, had a couple of years left in his contract. This sparked rumours that McLaren might have suspected some other team to be in talks with their driver.
Many suspected the team to be Red Bull or Mercedes. But the Briton claimed that it was the Milton Keynes team that was in touch with him. Norris said, “There have been talks with Red Bull.”
Norris had previously stated his desire to win races and the F1 championship. And what better place than Red Bull which just snatched the driver’s title after breaking Mercedes’s domination in the sport!
But Norris decided not to switch teams, “They have been in the top three for years. But that just goes to show how much confidence I have in McLaren.
He is also good friends with Max Verstappen. But with Max as their ‘Number 1’ driver, Lando did not see himself winning a championship at Red Bull. He adds, “Although there were talks, I felt McLaren was better for me to achieve my goals.”
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Lando Norris believes he can win races from 2024
Lando Norris has been associated with McLaren since 2017. He joined as a junior driver and would be their main driver from 2019 onwards.
Lando believes in the prospect of leaving McLaren was low as he loved working with the team. And with McLaren oriented towards the goal of winning championships and races, Norris didn’t think much.
He says, “I enjoy it at McLaren. I like working with these guys. I believe in them. If I didn’t do that, I wouldn’t have signed a long-term contract.”
McLaren has committed to the plan of challenging for the title in the 2024 F1 season. And Lando has full faith in his team’s goals.
He adds, “My head looks ahead. My ideas are long-term. We have to keep working. In 2024 and 2025 I will have my best chance with McLaren.”
McLaren is a long way behind the top 3 of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull in terms of performance. And Norris feels, It will take time to catch up to them. But there is no excuse if they don’t meet their targets.
Norris said, “2024 will be our first year in which we have no more excuses, the first year in which we operate with our infrastructure almost at the level of the top teams. The rest is up to us.”
Norris has gone from an exciting prospect to a rated future World Champion. But apart from coming agonisingly close to winning a race, he has lacked the chance to show his skills at the big level. only time will tell the future for the Briton.
