Lando Norris’ Eternal Contract Poses a Perplexing Question as McLaren’s Ship Sinks Further: “Is This Team Ever…”

It is preferred not to bring anchors to a sinking ship. However, Lando Norris anchored his foreseeable fate to this sinking ship and now has the responsibility to stop the leaks. McLaren’s ship started leaking during the second half of last season and has gotten worse this season. Norris’ eternal contract has anchored him to McLaren as questions are now being raised about the F1 star’s future, hopes, and dreams.

McLaren’s MCL60 is nothing short of a monstrosity to drive. While McLaren hoped to catch up to the leaders, they’ve fallen to the back of the grid this season. Lando Norris signed a contract extension worth 99 million dollars in 2022 that plans to keep the Briton at McLaren till 2025. However, the downside is that there are no release clauses in his contract, meaning Norris cannot leave if a better opportunity presents itself. Looking at McLaren’s performance, any other team would probably be a better option.

With rumors of Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari, the 25-year-old could’ve easily filled in for the seven-time world champion. However, Norris has to stick with the sinking McLaren. The Papaya Team is showing no signs of improvement and can very well finish the season in the lower half. The host of the Late Braking F1 podcast suggested that Norris still has 3 years left on his contract. He must be wondering if it’s possible for him to win a race in these 3 years, let alone a championship. The host explained how these long-term contracts aren’t working out.

According to the Late Braking F1 podcast, the host said “Beginning of 2021 he signed a deal to keep him there till the end of 2025. Now if you’re Lando Norris and you’ve still got 3 years left on that deal, you’re probably sitting there thinking is this team ever going to get me in a position to win races, let alone win a championship. These long-term deals for drivers that are good enough and should have more confidence in themselves that they can be a bit more flexible and fluid, it’s not working out.”

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Lando Norris should’ve been smart enough to at least sneak in a performance-related release clause in his contract, which pushed McLaren to provide at least a somewhat competitive car. However, the 25-year-old is still positive about the team and has shown positivity towards the work going on at the factory. Zak Brown suggests Norris is happy at McLaren and is seeing the progress they are making back at the factory.

Zak Brown on Lando Norris’ contract and release clause 

While most athletes are smart enough to sneak in a release clause in their contracts, Zak Brown suggests Lando Norris has no exit clause. The McLaren CEO explains that the Briton is free to leave at the end of the contract if he feels the team isn’t performing. He further added that Norris is happy with the team and isn’t thinking about moving. The 25-year-old sees the progress the team is making and is hopeful of making progress.

According to Skysports.com, Zak Brown said, “He has zero exit clauses. Ultimately, when his contract is next up if we are not performing and he doesn’t feel he can win races and can compete for the championship, then I think anybody, driver or team member for that matter [would be considering leaving], we are all here to win. He has got a contract with us and, most importantly, he is very happy here and he sees the progress that we are making, and he is a team player.”

Watch this Story: Will Lando Norris Switch Teams From the Miserable McLaren – What are his Options?

What do you make of what the hosts of the podcast suggested? Did Norris make a mistake by signing such a long extension with McLaren?