Lando Norris: "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"; 21-year-old Briton is fourth in the Drivers' Championship after first four rounds of F1 2021 season.
Wednesday 19 May 2021 15:34, UK
Lando Norris has signed a new multi-year deal to continue racing for McLaren.
The 21-year-old Briton has made a flying start to his third season of F1 at the team and is fourth in the Drivers' Championship after the opening rounds heading into this weekend's Monaco GP.
Norris, who joined McLaren's young driver programme in 2017, claimed his second career podium at Imola last month - and is confident greater success is on the horizon as the former champions plot their way back to the front.
"I'm really pleased to have extended my relationship with McLaren from 2022," said Norris.
"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 [Brown] and Andreas [Seidl] 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."
New team-mate Daniel Ricciardo is in the first year of his own multi-year deal, meaning McLaren's driver line-up is settled for the foreseeable future beyond 2022.
Having returned to the top three of the Constructors' Championship for the first time in eight years last season, McLaren continue to make strides in closing the gap to Mercedes and Red Bull.
The Woking team hold third again in this campaign with two-car points finishes in all four races so far.
Zak Brown, McLaren chief executive: "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."
Andreas Seidl, McLaren team principal: "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 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."