Lando Norris confirms Red Bull talks as McLaren star discusses future

Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo at 2022 McLaren launch

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Lando Norris has confirmed he held talks with Red Bull before signing a new contract with McLaren earlier this year. The Briton is regarded as one of the best young drivers on the grid and penned fresh terms in February to keep him at McLaren until the end of the 2025 season.

“Of course there are conversations with other people from time to time,” Norris explained after being asked by Auto Motor und Sport if he spoke to Red Bull before extending his McLaren deal. “You always ask yourself, ‘what is best for my career?’”

“After all, I want to win and win world championships. There have been talks with Red Bull. They are a team that has been in the top three for years. But that just goes to show how much confidence I have in McLaren. Although there were talks, I felt McLaren was better for me to achieve my goals.”

Norris joined McLaren’s junior driver programme in 2017 and was handed an F1 seat ahead of the 2019 season. After finishing his year season in 11th place, the 22-year-old was ninth in 2020 and impressed on his way to securing sixth spot last year. This time around he is currently seventh in the standings with four races remaining and finished on the podium at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in April.

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Norris’ McLaren contract is reportedly worth £80million, with the ace paying tribute to the people he works with after signing his deal. “Teams are about people, and I love the people and feel at home at McLaren,” he said in February. “I have grown up in this team and I’m part of this journey we’re all on.”

And Norris, who has helped McLaren finish in the top four in the Constructors’ Championship in each of the last three season, has now tipped his team to improve further in the coming years.

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“I believe in us,” he added. “We have reached a point where we better understand what we need to do, what direction we need to take and how we achieve our goals. We also have a better understanding of why we haven’t taken as many steps forward as we wanted in the last two years.

“Is it because of our vehicle philosophy? The design? At the wind tunnel? I hope that our new one will help us for 2024 and 2025. I have to believe that my team can do a good job.”

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