McLaren announced a two-year extension deal with the rookie Oscar Piastri. Over the last few races, the Australian driver has shown consistent improvements and has proven himself a vital member of the McLaren setup. The 22-year-old jumped ten places during the Singapore GP to finish P7 after a first-round exit in qualifying. As such, Lando Norris is feeling the pressure being put on him by the rookie.
With each race, the McLaren driver duo is proving to be the most talented and in-sync lineup across the grid. Norris has done a tremendous job in his first year as a lead driver, having secured three podiums this season.
Meanwhile, Piastri stands as the best debutant of the season, putting in consistent performances and earning valuable points for his team, leading to a two-year extension. During the pre-race press conference, the McLaren drivers discussed their future with the team while Norris fired a warning shot for the other teams.
Lando Norris holds his partnership with Oscar Piastri in high regard
In the pre-race press conference uploaded by the YouTube channel ‘For F1,’ Norris discussed the effects of Piastri’s recent performances on him. The British driver said Piastri has exceeded everyone’s expectations of him and has pushed him a lot. “It’s not a nice thing. It’s not what I want,” a smiling Norris added.
He also addressed a question where he had to compare McLaren’s driver lineup to those of other teams on the grid.
“How strong is the McLaren’s driver lineup now?”
“The strongest.”
Norris also took the opportunity to admit how proud he was of everything Piastri has achieved in a short career. Despite not featuring on the podium yet, Piastri has been a strong driver throughout the season. Looking forward to the 2024 and 2025 seasons, the senior McLaren driver hopes they can continue to push each other and get to the top of the standings.
Norris could sign an extension deal soon
The 23-year-old is currently under contract with McLaren until the end of the 2025 season, meaning the team has no openings before the 2026 season. Having offered Piastri an extension deal, the attention now falls on Norris and his future with the team.
According to a report by Sky Sports F1, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says “good conversations” are going on between the driver and the team about his future.
With his team-mate Oscar Piastri committing his near #F1 future to the team, how strong does Lando Norris think McLaren’s driver line-up is?
“The strongest” on the F1 grid, according to him. Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/E2CqIl4Lna
— The Race (@wearetherace) September 21, 2023
Although Verstappen and Norris have previously shown their desire to be teammates in the future, Stella asserts they are having conversations with the Briton and are hopeful of securing a long-term partnership with Norris before other teams can come in with their offers. For now, the focus of the drivers and the team will be to continue climbing through the ranks and becoming one of the ‘top dogs’ on the grid.
