It is official: McLaren and Lando Norris sign new multi-year deal  
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Formula 1 team, McLaren Racing, has announced this Wednesday the signing of a new multi-year contract with its driver Lando Norris. With this agreement, the team from Woking nails down its rising star in the medium term.

Norris has had a fantastic start to the 2021 World Championship. His outstanding speed and results, have turned him into one of the big sensations of the year. He started with a fourth place in Bahrain and at the following race in Imola, he took his second Formula One podium. In the Portuguese round he finished fifth and later in Spain he came in eighth. 

Those results have obviously played a big part in McLaren’s decision to commit to the Somerset driver. Norris belongs to that incipient generation of pilots which is called to dominate the Premier Class in the near future.

 Part of that group are also Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Max Verstappen, albeit the latter has a bit more experience than the rest. The new agreement provides further stability to McLaren and its strategy to become one of the greatest teams in the grid once again.
Its drivers will remain as they are (Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo) for at least the present and following season. The Australian driver debuted with the British squad this year and has a contractual arrangement with them until the end of 2022. 

The 2022 campaign could precisely suppose a turning point for McLaren as a new set of regulatory changes are coming into force which could open up the doors of Formula One glory to other teams. 

The Scuderia led by Andreas Seidl has opted to combine the youth and explosiveness of Norris (21) together with the experience and solidity of Ricciardo (31) to help them tackle this exciting new stage in the history of the team. 

Lando arrived in McLaren in early 2017 as a test and simulator driver and became a reserve driver the following season. In 2019 was made an official driver, taking his first podium that same year. 

Lando Norris, to become F1 champ with McLaren

“I’m really pleased to have extended my relationship with McLaren from 2022. Having been with the team for almost five years, I feel very much part of the family here and I couldn’t imagine starting the next phase of my career anywhere else. McLaren has been a huge support since my days in junior series and I’ve really enjoyed learning and developing as a driver since”.

“My commitment to McLaren is clear: my goal is to win races and become Formula 1 World Champion and I want to do that with this team. Since joining in 2017 our progression has been consistent and we have clear ambitions together for the future”.

“I want to say thank you to Zak and Andreas for the belief they’ve shown in me since the beginning, and to the whole team for giving me such a strong environment to continue my career in”.

“We’ve already had some incredible moments together which I’ll never forget – two podiums and securing P3 in the championship – and together with Daniel and the rest of the team I’m looking forward to pushing for even more success in the years to come,” said Lando Norris.

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing

“I’m delighted with the extension of our agreement with Lando for 2022 and beyond. He’s been instrumental in our return of form here at McLaren and we’re proud of the growth he’s shown since he first started with us back in 2017″.

“Lando is one of the brightest talents on the Formula 1 grid and we look forward to seeing him continue to go from strength-to-strength both on and off track”, said Zak Brown.

Andreas Seidl, Team Principal, McLaren F1

“Our decision to confirm Lando’s long-term future at McLaren was very straightforward. Lando has impressed us since his rookie year with his performances, and his evolution as a driver since then has been clear to see”.

“He’s an integral part of our performance recovery plan and his record so far, securing two podiums with the team over the past year, has shown he’s a formidable competitor on track. Like him, we have strong ambitions for our future together and I’m pleased we’re continuing this journey into the next chapter for both Lando and the team”.

“In Lando and Daniel we have a hugely talented and exciting driver line-up, and this announcement is a strong signal of commitment to the next chapter for McLaren from 2022 onwards,” explained Andreas Seidl”.

Images of Lando Norris: McLaren Racing.

 

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