Since Carlos Sainz left them, Lando Norris has been McLaren’s number 1 star. Even though the Briton has never got a win for the Woking-based team, he is still a reliable lieutenant to them who brings points for them consistently.
So much so that at the end of 2021, when Norris gave in some impressive performances, McLaren gave him a $20 million-a-year contract until 2026.
Many believed this was offered as Mclaren didn’t want him to be poached like Ferrari clinched Sainz after the 2020 season. Considering, Norris is also considered a championship-level driver.
He might get lured by a team which can run for a title and, at the same looking for a suitable candidate, leaving Mclaren abandoned with their revival plans.
Also read: Lewis Hamilton is taking on Michael Schumacher role at Mercedes, says Toto Wolff
McLaren is not worried about Lando Norris getting poached
The second most successful F1 team is currently far from competing for the title. While Norris is still young and can be patient with his shot at the title, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t fancy jumping to a better team.
McLaren realizes this reality and, talking about it, claims that they aren’t worried about Norris leaving them for a top-3 team. Instead, they claim they will give him a winning car.
“No, because I’m convinced we’re going to give him a winning car,” said Zak Brown when asked about Norris leaving them for a team with a championship-winning car. “We have a long-term contract with him. I think he feels very comfortable within the team.”
Teaming up with Oscar Piastri
For 2023 McLaren parted ways with Oscar Piastri and signed one of the rising prospects of F1- Oscar Piastri. The 2021 F2 champion has won every feeder series in his rookie season, and that’s why the Papaya team saw potential in him to make them go forward.
In his recent interview on McLaren’s YouTube channel, Brown claimed that with Norris completing four years in F1, they have the right balance of youth and experience with the new drivers’ lineup.
Though it isn’t necessary if a driver has been successful in F2, they’ll replicate that in F1. But Piastri couldn’t have asked for a better team for his debut year. Surely, he’ll have to deal with the immense pressure of competing for a top team in his first year.
