Norris “proudest” to have stuck with McLaren as F1 title looms

Lando Norris will take nice satisfaction if he leads McLaren to its first Method 1 constructors’ title in 26 years after revealing he has beforehand turned down alternatives to depart the group.

McLaren leads second-placed Ferrari by 21 factors heading into Sunday’s Abu Dhabi season finale, the place Norris took pole place and can begin alongside team-mate Oscar Piastri on the entrance row.

The Woking squad’s turnaround has been one of many tales in 2024 having completed no greater than fourth within the earlier three years.

Norris, who took his maiden race victory in Might’s Miami Grand Prix, pushed Max Verstappen nearer than anyone although the Pink Bull driver nonetheless claimed a fourth world championship.

However McLaren is now the heavy favorite to land the constructors’ crown and for Norris, it will justify sticking with the squad since his F1 debut in 2019.

“Oscar’s in all probability lucky to not undergo these first few years that we have had,” he mentioned. “I imply, there’s some very enjoyable years. Yeah, that is true. We did not begin off nice final 12 months, however I had some nice instances.

“We made progress, stepped again, made progress, stepped again. Nothing ever clicked, actually, and by no means continued to develop.

“It was arduous simply to interrupt that barrier of getting near Ferrari, Mercedes, and Pink Bull as a result of for such an extended time period, they have been the fellows who’ve dominated Method 1.

“Now, not solely have we damaged that barrier during the last 12 months and a half, we have risen to the highest of it to turn out to be the very best group and main and hopefully to go on to win.

“So it undoubtedly has been an extended rise to get to the place we’re, which has been enjoyable and I’ve actually cherished it. I feel the factor I will be proudest and most blissful about is the very fact I am nonetheless right here.

“The actual fact I am nonetheless in papaya as a result of I believed within the group for a few years. I had alternatives to not be in papaya and to perhaps go on and win races at an earlier stage in my profession and people type of issues.

“I had these alternatives, however I believed and I wished to easily do it with McLaren. I wished to do it with the fellows who gave me my alternative in Method 1.

Pole man Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, arrives in Parc Ferme

Photograph by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Pictures

“And as a lot as we did not assume it was going to be potential this 12 months, we’re hoping for subsequent 12 months.

“Subsequent 12 months was our type of in-line goal, on-paper goal. The actual fact we’re doing it this 12 months is a fair greater achievement.”

Whereas McLaren’s rise again to the highest of F1 has garnered loads of consideration and earned reward for each drivers and the group construction in place, Norris feels there’s nonetheless not a full comprehension of the arduous work required to perform the feat.

“I do not assume, merely from the surface, individuals would give McLaren and my group sufficient credit score for what they’ve accomplished, what they’ve circled, as a result of it isn’t a simple sport,” he added.

“It might look easy at instances from the surface and issues like that. And even I feel generally issues are extra easy than what they give the impression of being. We will solely simply give a hats off to the entire group, as a result of a whole lot of issues have modified.

“Folks have come and gone, and Andrea (Stella, group principal) has accomplished an unbelievable job. So to be a part of this complete story, to be a part of it not lengthy after Zak (Brown, CEO) joined McLaren [in 2016] and began altering issues and making McLaren right into a barely extra blissful place than it was prior.

“I have been alongside the journey with Zak, and we have gone by a whole lot of issues collectively, highs and lows and emotional instances.

“Job not accomplished, and Andrea shall be blissful that I say it, however I am proud to be on this journey, to have been on it with McLaren for therefore a few years, and I will be very blissful when hopefully it is all completed off.”