Lando Norris fires warning to Max Verstappen after signing new McLaren contract - 'We have what it takes'

Norris has spent the entirety of his F1 career with the Woking-based team and enjoyed his best season to date in 2023.

The 24-year-old claimed seven podium finishes and ended the campaign sixth in the driver standings with 205 points, just a point behind Fernando Alonso in fourth.

Norris' previous contract was set to expire at the end of 2025 but he has now committed his future to McLaren for at least another year.

He had been linked with a move to Red Bull to become team-mate of three-time back-to-back world champion Verstappen.

But Norris says there were clear signs last season that McLaren were closing the gap on Red Bull.

And he is convinced that they can challenge for world championships in the near future.

Norris told Sky Sports: "Considering we are talking about the most competitive and successful car in the history of Formula 1 over a season - and I think you have to include the driver in that too - how close we got at certain places with where we started the season I think was pretty impressive.

"To go from out of the points pretty much every single race to being probably the closest team on average to the most successful car that's ever been in Formula 1, I think showed me enough, and showed everyone here at McLaren enough, that we have what it takes to challenge them.

"Therefore I want to create my own chapter and my own story of being with McLaren and turning the team around and being part of that journey."

Norris admits there was interest from elsewhere but he was always sure that McLaren was the place to stay.

He added: "So of course there's always interest and in the back of my mind it's always like 'what would happen if I went here and what could I achieve' and so forth, but I'm happy with where I am.

"I'm comfortable and I think in order to achieve a world championship you need to be happy and comfortable with where you're at and I don't think you are able to achieve that by suddenly switching to another team and finding that within a year. So that's why I think it's best."

Norris even admitted he held talks with other teams but is glad to put the rumours over a potential exit to bed.

"There's always discussions every now and then," he said. "I'm not going to lie and say no, there's always little discussions and you talk to people and see 'what could you offer' kind of thing but it never went further than that.

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"There's always been things in the media and stories being written and that's never the best thing for everyone here back in the factory.

"If you're working away making a part that's going to be on my car, if you see Norris has links to here or there, it's never probably the best thing to see.

"So for the team's sake I think it's always why we wanted to get it done now just to put those rumours to rest. And that was it.

"I was convinced this is where I want to stay so as much as there were 'hey, how are you?' kinds of things at other places, it never went further than that, and as soon as I came back here it was a done deal."

Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing, is pleased that Norris has put pen to paper on a new multi-year deal.

Brown said: "I’m delighted that we’re continuing our relationship with Lando for multiple years to come.

"It’s been a fantastic journey over the last six years, and he has shown fantastic commitment and desire to push the team forward and get McLaren back to the front of the grid.

"Last season we saw the fundamental role Lando played with the impressive turnaround in results and I’m looking forward to continuing this push forward together with lots more podiums."