Lando Norris signed a long-term agreement with McLaren earlier this year, as the team continues to establish itself as a vital participant in Formula One.
Lando Norris has defended his commitment to McLaren, emphasizing that the team’s recent performance has vindicated his decision to extend his contract. Initially, Norris’ contract was due to end after the current season, leading to speculation about a potential move to Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen. Instead, Norris chose to stay with McLaren on a long-term deal.
This decision has paid off, as Norris has since become a grand prix winner with McLaren and currently ranks second in the drivers’ championship. The team, based in Woking, has been a consistent front-runner and is competing for the constructors’ championship this year, reinforcing Norris’s satisfaction with his choice.
Norris expressed his feelings to Sky F1, stating, “There were a lot of people that didn’t agree or thought it was a silly thing to do, so it’s nice to prove some of them wrong.” He credited the team’s efforts, saying, “[It was] not me [who] proved them wrong, but the team proved them wrong. They have got what is needed.”
Norris pleased to see McLaren faith ‘come true’
Lando Norris provided further insight into his decision to commit to McLaren, highlighting the difference between his internal perspective and the views of those outside the team. He explained that his understanding of McLaren’s long-term potential was based on factors not visible to outsiders.
“I guess when you’re within a team, and when you’re within F1, you understand things a lot more than people do on the outside,” Norris stated. He emphasized the importance of the team’s internal structure and morale, which he had already recognized last year.
He added, “One of those things was the structure we had, the morale we had within the team. This was stuff I already saw last year. We still had even more things that were added to the team this year.”
Norris expressed satisfaction with his decision, saying, “In a nice way, it’s good to see that what I thought was the correct thing has turned out to be the correct thing and that my faith and belief in the team has come true.”
