McLaren’s Lando Norris has been their most exciting driver so far this season. The British driver currently has 75 points to his name, having secured a podium finish twice in 2023. Not only is he a prominent member of McLaren, but he is also one of the prime targets for many teams on the grid. Given his reputation, the McLaren team boss told ‘Il Corriere della Sera’ that offering Norris $25,000,000 per year might not be enough to get him to stay with them, according to reports by Formula Passion.
The Woking-based outfit has not been able to deliver a championship-worthy car in over a decade. The team has not won a constructor’s championship in over 20 years and doesn’t look like a team that’s still ready to fight for one in the near future. Realizing what he is capable of, it is only natural for Norris to look at teams that can help him fight for titles- a feeling well understood by Andrea Stella.
Money won’t be enough for McLaren to get Lando Norris to stay
With Sergio Perez not being able to challenge Max Verstappen enough, one narrative suggests there could soon be a shuffle in the Austrian team’s lineup. As such, Norris replacing the Mexican has become the most discussed scenario within the paddock. Talking about the potential departure of Norris to Red Bull, Stella states it is only natural for the British driver to want to switch to a championship-winning team.
“It’s natural. If I were on another team I would also try to understand how to take it. What we want to do is prevent this from happening to us too. Apart from the contractual aspects, being able to win together is a special goal. I think that if we give him and Piastri a competitive car, we’ll have no difficulty holding back either of them.”
While the monetary aspect is a crucial element of the sport, Norris might choose to stay with McLaren because of their ambitions and how they have steadily been working towards achieving them. Right before the 2023 season went into summer break, the Woking outfit showed incredible improvements and put their hat in the ring for a top 3, if not top 2, contender ship in the constructor’s championship.
Norris’ faith restored in the McLaren Project
The beginning of the season was far from optimal for Norris and his team. The drivers struggled to make the top ten in the first two races of the season, suggesting the team’s performances had dipped further down. With the team’s woes in mind, Norris claimed he would be open to switching to another team in hopes of seeing more success. However, after their incredible improvements in the middle of the season, the 23-year-old has had a change of heart.
Norris now wants to continue racing with McLaren and is in favor of seeing his contract, which ends in 2025, run its course. The Bristol-born driver will hope to see the McLaren Project also reach its apex while he is still with the team. Zak Brown has laid out plans to bring in better sponsors, more money, and better R&D to help his team go back to the days of 2008 or 1998.
