Lando Norris has firmed up his future after signing a new multi-year contract with the McLaren F1 Team, and the popular Briton wants to take victories and fight for championships with the Woking-based outfit.
Norris joined the McLaren young driver programme back in 2017 and was promoted to a Formula 1 race seat with the team in 2019. He is now in his third campaign and has twice stood on the podium, in Austria in 2020 and the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix earlier this year.
The Briton says McLaren’s improvements and progression in the past couple of years made the decision to remain with them an easy decision to make.
“I’m really pleased to have extended my relationship with McLaren from 2022,” said Norris. “Having been with the team for almost five years, I feel very much part of the family here and I couldn’t imagine starting the next phase of my career anywhere else.
“McLaren has been a huge support since my days in junior series and I’ve really enjoyed learning and developing as a driver since.
“My commitment to McLaren is clear: my goal is to win races and become Formula 1 World Champion and I want to do that with this team. Since joining in 2017 our progression has been consistent and we have clear ambitions together for the future.”
Norris thanked Chief Executive Officer Zak Brown and Team Principal Andreas Seidl for the belief that both have shown him during his time at the team, and he wants to share more magical moments with them in the upcoming years.
“I want to say thank you to Zak and Andreas for the belief they’ve shown in me since the beginning, and to the whole team for giving me such a strong environment to continue my career in,” he said.
“We’ve already had some incredible moments together which I’ll never forget – two podiums and securing P3 in the championship – and together with Daniel [Ricciardo] and the rest of the team I’m looking forward to pushing for even more success in the years to come.”
“To confirm Lando’s long-term future at McLaren was very straightforward” – Andreas Seidl
Seidl says signing Norris to a new contract was a straightforward decision to make, and he cannot wait to see how the partnership he has formed with current team-mate Ricciardo will develop.
“Our decision to confirm Lando’s long-term future at McLaren was very straightforward,” said Seidl. “Lando has impressed us since his rookie year with his performances, and his evolution as a driver since then has been clear to see.
“He’s an integral part of our performance recovery plan and his record so far, securing two podiums with the team over the past year, has shown he’s a formidable competitor on track. Like him, we have strong ambitions for our future together and I’m pleased we’re continuing this journey for both Lando and the team.
“In Lando and Daniel we have a hugely talented and exciting driver line-up, and this announcement is a strong signal of commitment to the next chapter for McLaren from 2022 onwards.”
Brown says Norris is one of the ‘brightest talents’ on the Formula 1 grid, and he believes he will continue to go from strength to strength as part of the McLaren set-up for years to come.
“I’m delighted with the extension of our agreement with Lando for 2022 and beyond,” said Brown. “He’s been instrumental in our return of form here at McLaren and we’re proud of the growth he’s shown since he first started with us back in 2017.
“Lando is one of the brightest talents on the Formula 1 grid and we look forward to seeing him continue to go from strength-to-strength both on and off track.”
