Both Drivers Sign Multi-Year Extensions
Lando Norris and McLaren Solidify Alliance with Multi-Year Contract Extension
Lando Norris has committed his long-term future to McLaren after agreeing to an “extended multi-year" contract with the British team. Following a strong 2023 season, which saw him secure six second-place finishes and clinch sixth position in the drivers’ standings, Norris’s existing contract, set to expire at the end of 2025, has been extended. This move ensures an unchanged driver lineup at McLaren for at least the next three seasons, following teammate Oscar Piastri’s contract renewal in September.
Expressing his excitement, Norris stated, “It’s a great feeling to be staying in papaya. I’ve grown up with McLaren and feel at home here, the team are like family to me." He further emphasized his confidence in challenging for wins with McLaren and expressed eagerness to continue working hard with the team. Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, lauded Norris’s commitment and desire to propel the team forward, highlighting the crucial role Norris played in the team’s impressive performance last season.
Andrea Stella, McLaren Team Principal, echoed the sentiment, expressing pleasure in confirming the multi-year contract extension with Norris beyond 2025. Stella emphasized Norris’s growth as a driver and a person since joining McLaren in 2017, citing his pivotal role in the team’s progress and his impressive performances, securing seven podiums last season. With an eye toward the upcoming season, McLaren is set to unveil their 2024 challenger at Silverstone on February 14, followed by pre-season testing in Bahrain starting on February 21.
Ferrari and Charles Leclerc have agreed a fresh contract extension, with the Monegasque continuing to race for the team beyond the end of 2024.
Leclerc has enjoyed a long relationship with the Scuderia, having first joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016. After making his F1 debut with Sauber in 2018, he became a full-time member of the Ferrari team in 2019 and from there has scored five race wins, as well as claiming 23 pole positions.
Now the partnership looks set to continue for several more years as Leclerc remains set on his aim of winning the world championship with Ferrari.
“I’m very pleased to know that I will be wearing the Scuderia Ferrari race suit for several more seasons to come,” Leclerc commented on the contract announcement.
“To race for this team has been my dream since I was three years old: I used to watch the Monaco Grand Prix from the window of a friend’s apartment at Ste. Devote corner and I would always look out for the red cars. This team is my second family ever since I joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016 and we have achieved a lot together, fighting through thick and thin over the past five years.
“However, I believe the best is yet to come and I can’t wait for this season to start, to make further progress and be competitive at every race. My dream remains that of winning the World Championship with Ferrari and I’m sure that in the years ahead, we will enjoy great times together and make our fans happy."
Leclerc will enter into his sixth season as a Ferrari driver in 2024, where he will again by joined by team mate Carlos Sainz, who is contracted to the team until the end of the year.
The Italian outfit will launch their new challenger on February 13, ahead of pre-season testing taking place in from February 21-23 in Sakhir before the first event of the campaign, the Bahrain Grand Prix, on February 29-March 2.