Lando Norris has committed his long-term future to McLaren with a new contract running through the 2030 Formula 1 season, but the reigning world champion has acknowledged that experiencing life at a team such as Ferrari or Mercedes could still appeal later in his career. For now, Norris regards McLaren as the team with which he has fulfilled his childhood ambition, although he is not ruling out taking a different path once his latest deal expires.
McLaren secured the British driver’s future during the break between the Dutch and Italian Grands Prix. His agreement follows the wider trend of Formula 1’s leading drivers making long-term commitments, with Charles Leclerc also tied closely to Ferrari’s future and Max Verstappen extending his stay with Red Bull into the next decade. More on Verstappen’s contractual position and the provisions within his deal can be found in GP-News’ look at Max Verstappen’s Red Bull contract through 2030.
Lando Norris admits Ferrari still has long-term appeal
Norris was believed to have been contracted to McLaren until at least the end of 2027 under his previous agreement, with options potentially allowing the partnership to continue through 2028 or 2029. Rather than wait for those terms to play out, McLaren has now secured him until 2030 on a deal reported to be worth £30 million per year.
Speaking to Sky Sports after agreeing the new contract, Norris confirmed that rival Formula 1 teams had expressed interest in signing him once his previous McLaren agreement expired. However, the 26-year-old stressed that driving for the Woking team had always been his childhood dream and that he recognised how fortunate he was to have achieved it.
That commitment does not mean Norris has lost his curiosity about other teams. Having spent his entire Formula 1 career with McLaren, he acknowledged that it was natural to wonder what competing for a historic operation such as Ferrari, or experiencing Mercedes, might be like. The history attached to those teams is part of that attraction.
Ferrari already has Charles Leclerc established as a central figure in its long-term plans, while Lewis Hamilton’s move to Maranello provides Norris with a prominent example of a leading driver pursuing different experiences during the course of a career.
Lewis Hamilton’s career gives Norris a different perspective
Lewis Hamilton’s journey has helped shape how Norris views the possibilities available to a Formula 1 driver. Hamilton began his Formula 1 career with McLaren, moved to Mercedes in 2013 and eventually joined Ferrari in 2025. Norris considers that progression an interesting example of how a driver can experience different environments and different chapters without following a single-team career.
He explained that the decision ultimately depends on what a driver wants to achieve. One option is to pursue maximum competitive success with the same organisation year after year, while another is to experience the culture and history of teams such as Ferrari or Mercedes. Norris stressed that this is not something he intends to consider seriously now and suggested that the question would be more appropriate when his current contract reaches its end in 2030.
Hamilton’s own Ferrari chapter can be followed through our latest Lewis Hamilton news and Ferrari updates.
Red Bull previously tried to lure Norris away from McLaren
Interest in Norris from rival teams is not a new development. During Christian Horner’s time in charge, Red Bull explored the possibility of pairing him with Max Verstappen and had been monitoring the Briton for years. Red Bull had even investigated bringing Norris into Formula 1 with Toro Rosso in 2019.
McLaren responded to that threat by promoting Norris to its Formula 1 race team alongside Carlos Sainz, replacing Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne. He had already spent two years within McLaren’s driver development programme before making his Grand Prix debut.
Norris then remained loyal through some of the organisation’s more difficult periods and played a major role in its eventual return to the top. Working under CEO Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella, he was part of the McLaren operation that secured consecutive Constructors’ Championships in 2024 and 2025 before Norris won the 2025 Drivers’ Championship. His continued development during the following season is also examined by GP-News in its analysis of how Lando Norris believes he improved as an F1 driver in 2026.
McLaren remains Norris’s priority until 2030
The length of the new contract means any potential Ferrari or Mercedes move remains a distant question rather than an immediate possibility. Norris has made clear that he is happy at McLaren and remains focused on continuing the partnership that has already delivered both constructors’ and drivers’ championship success.
Yet his comments also stop short of suggesting that he intends to spend his entire Formula 1 career at Woking. While some supporters may expect Norris eventually to retire as a McLaren driver, he has acknowledged the attraction of experiencing another major team and intends to reassess his ambitions when the time comes.
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