Norris favoured long-term McLaren deal despite interest from F1 rivals

On Wednesday morning, McLaren announced Norris has signed a contract extension to keep him with the team until 2025.

Norris was one of F1’s star performers in 2021 with four podium finishes and a pole position, earning him sixth in the drivers’ championship.

Norris’ dismantling of new teammate Daniel Ricciardo was impressive as established himself as one of F1’s leading talents in 2021.

Despite signing a new deal on the eve of the Monaco Grand Prix, the British driver has signed an extension to keep him with McLaren for the next four years.

With Lewis Hamilton edging closer to the end of his F1 career at 37 and Red Bull likely needing a replacement for Sergio Perez in the near future, drives at F1’s current two leading teams are likely.

Norris said that he had to “weigh in all the factors” before committing to his current team.

“I have to weigh in all the factors, it’s still my own career that I am focusing on,” Norris explained. “I looked at all the best options for me and what I think is what I can be most successful and what I think I can achieve the best, but also what I believe is the best for me as a driver, the best for me as a person and in the longer term what is the best thing for me.

“Of course, there will be opportunities for other drivers I am sure and maybe go to Red Bull or Mercedes, who knows if I would have had those opportunities. I think the fact that it’s known or the fact I would have those opportunities but I still chose to stay with McLaren is the good thing about all of this that I know those opportunities or I am confident that those opportunities would arise in the next few years but the fact is I still have chosen to commit to McLaren so I think that’s quite a strong message.

“It’s quite a strong thing that this is still where I want to be, it’s where I want to achieve race wins and podiums and championships with, and that’s all. It just shows it’s a very strong message and I did weigh in all the factors for my own benefit and what I think could have come up in the next few years with drivers leaving and so on but in the end, McLaren for me was still the best option so that’s why I am most happy to be here and commit to my team.”

Norris revealed that there were “little chats” with other teams in the paddock, but remained transparent with team boss Andreas Seidl.

“I mean there was little chats here and there,” Norris added. “But that’s all. And nothing went far. And as soon as something came up that’s when I would then continue going to Andreas and have a little conversation about what our future holds and so on.

“There were little things, no point lying about it, there were little things here and there with other teams, but nothing that went far at all.”