McLaren admits that extending Lando Norris’s contract is ‘a priority’ for the team 

Lando Norris is currently contracted to drive for McLaren until the end of 2025 alongside teammate Oscar Piastri.

McLaren admits that extending Lando Norris’s contract is ‘a priority’ for the team 

Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Zak Brown (Via IMAGO)

McLaren is on an upward turn in terms of performance after a dismal start to the 2023 season. The papaya team was the second-fastest team on the grid in the latter half of the season after upgrades in Austria, and they are hoping to carry the momentum into the coming seasons.

Part of this is having a strong driver line-up in Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Norris in particular has been with the team since his F1 debut in 2019 and has performed consistently since. McLaren CEO Zak Brown revealed that keeping Norris on beyond his contract conclusion in 2025 is a priority for the team.

YouTube video
There are a lot of priorities, and certainly with Lando we’ve got some time, but he is a driver that everybody up and down the pit lane wants.
Zak Brown said, as reported by motorsportweek.com

Norris has been eyed by multiple teams, being approached by Red Bull multiple times but declining on each occasion. The Briton is now reportedly a target for Ferrari, as the Scuderia team is unwilling to extend Norris’s former teammate Carlos Sainz’s contract for more than a year to keep a seat open.

FS Video

Andrea Stella reveals reason behind brutal honesty about McLaren status

McLaren was in a terrible state at the beginning of the 2023 season, and McLaren was quick to address it. The team admitted that there were major shortcomings and misjudgements and began working to rectify it almost immediately.

Andrea Stella
Andrea Stella (via IMAGO)

Team principa Andrea Stella revealed the necessity to be honest to their fans regardless of bad performance. Stella claimed that to create foundations, being truthful about the status of the team is necessary to adapt and improve the circumstances.

I have a very simple strategy: just say things as they are. It’s very simple. It puts you in a solid place. If you try to create stories that don’t reflect the reality, that will allow you to get away with it for a short term, but it’s not creating foundations.
Andrea Stella said, as reported by motorsport.com

McLaren has improved significantly ahead of 2024, but still has a long way to go if they want any chance at competing for the championship. The team managed 9 podiums in 2023, all in the second half of the season, seven of them in second place.

In case you missed it: