Lando Norris F1 contract talks emerge as Lewis Hamilton plays key role

21 January 2024 , 17:36

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Lando Norris is under contract with McLaren until 2025 (Image: Getty Images)

McLaren are confident of convincing Lando Norris to sign a new deal, despite Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes contract ending at the same time as his British rival.

Norris, 24, finished sixth in the Formula 1 Drivers' Championship in 2023, finishing on the podium on seven occasions. The Brit remains under contract until 2025, as does that of compatriot Hamilton, but his team are looking to resolve his longer-term future sooner rather than later.

Team-mate Oscar Piastri inked a contract extension in September, committing his future to McLaren until 2026. The Australian, in his first season as a first-choice driver, finished ninth in the overall standings.

Next up is a new deal for Norris, with questions over the longevity of 38-year-old Hamilton prompting Mercedes links. However, CEO Zak Brown remains confident of keeping his man on board.

“Yeah, I would say next priority," said Brown, hinting that the team would look to get things sorted sooner rather than later. “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.

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“How much longer is Lewis going? What are Mercedes going to do? How much longer has Sergio [Perez] got [at Red Bull]?

“For sure, the three other big teams probably don't have visibility as to their driver line-up beyond '25. And I think with how Lando has performed, he would be top of everyone's list.”

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Norris has several podiums to his name but is still waiting on his first race win in F1 (Getty Images)

Brown had earlier made it clear he would not entertain the idea of letting Norris break his contract before 2025. Such a possibility had been floated in corners of the media, with the future of Red Bull driver Perez up in the air after a difficult 2023, but the door appears to have been shut on that front.

"He's a great asset to the racing team," Brown told Sky Sports. "There is no number we would be interested in trading him for."

Norris has yet to secure a Formula 1 race win, despite a host of runner-up finishes. That may well change in 2024, though, if team principal Andrea Stella is to be believed.

"If we take a look at the numbers from Austria on, Lando is the second highest scorer behind Max [Verstappen]," Stella said. "This reflects the quality of the driving, the delivery he is capable of, which puts him at the top of the grid.

"The first victory is always the most important, then things come slightly easier. The main reason this has not been possible is because we have not put Lando in the position to consistently compete for a victory. He is ready for that, it's more about us being ready in delivering the car that allows him to take the opportunities."

Tom Victor