Lando Norris is staying with McLaren long-term: The Formula 1 team announced an early contract extension for the Briton on Friday afternoon. The Brit will stay with the Woking racing team until at least 2026.
“It’s a great feeling to stay in Papaya. I grew up with McLaren and feel at home here, the team is like a family to me,” says Norris. “The journey so far has been exciting, we’ve had ups and downs, but last season showed that we want to be at the top again.”
“The work that Zak, Andrea and the whole team have done over the last year has been incredible and I am confident to fight for wins with McLaren. I look forward to creating more great memories with everyone over the next few years to work hard at MTC (McLaren Technology Center; editor’s note).”
Just two years ago, Norris extended his contract with the team until the end of 2025. And although he still has two more years on the clock, Norris has once again decided to extend his contract early. The team does not provide any information about the term, but Norris is tied to the team until at least 2026.
Because teammate Oscar Piastri also extended his contract until the end of 2026 in September, McLaren’s driver pairing for the next three years has already been confirmed – and rumors of Norris moving to Red Bull are off the table.
“I am pleased that we will continue our relationship with Lando for several years,” says Managing Director Zak Brown. “It has been a fantastic journey over the last six years and he has shown fantastic commitment and desire to take the team forward and get McLaren back to the front of the grid.”
“Last season we saw the fundamental role Lando played in the impressive turnaround in results and I look forward to continuing that push along with many more podium finishes,” said Brown.
Andrea Stella: “Exciting driver pairing”
For team boss Andrea Stella, the extension “reflects the commitment and trust that we have together, with our common goal of winning championships again in the future.”
He praises: “Lando has developed as a driver and person since joining McLaren in 2017. He impressed last season and played an important role in our progress throughout the year, achieving seven podium finishes with many fantastic drives .”
“Together with Oscar, our exciting driver pairing will play an important role in our goal of moving up the grid. They have impressed in their first season together and I look forward to continuing the hard work with them both on this exciting journey .”
Why decided so early?
A big question about the extension is why Norris committed to McLaren so early on. The Brit still had two years left on his contract and is being courted by top teams like Red Bull. So why is he making a long-term commitment so early and closing a few doors to stay with a team he’s never won with?
Simple answer: “Because I can,” laughs Norris.
“I’m in a good position and don’t want to have to worry about it in the coming years,” he continues. “There have always been rumors about our future and it’s just a good time, especially if things get a little crazier in the future with a lot of contracts expiring and people potentially changing teams.”
He also made this decision with regard to the new Formula 1 regulations for 2026: “Neither I nor the team wanted to waste time thinking about it in such important years,” he says and emphasizes: “I’m confident, I’m happy here, and “The team is happy with me. So it was an easy decision.”
Norris was convinced by the change
But he also realizes that McLaren has had a difficult few years and has not improved as much as one might have hoped. Especially at the start of the 2023 season, it looked like things were going backwards for the team. But from the summer onwards there was a huge change, which meant that McLaren was often the second strongest team. That also convinced Norris.
“I have been with the team from the beginning and want to continue writing my story with them, with the aim of winning races and championships,” he clarifies. “McLaren is the team I want to do this with. They brought me into Formula 1 and gave me the opportunity.”
“In a way I feel like I owe it to them, but I’m just part of the family and I like being here. That plays a big role. I don’t want to move to another team and not have fun,” said Norris. “And most importantly, the direction we’re on. I’m excited to see where this takes us.”