Norris drops McLaren BOMBSHELL as....

Norris drops McLaren BOMBSHELL as….read more

Lando Norris, McLaren’s star driver, has revealed a surprising bombshell about his past Formula 1 career, suggesting that he could have left McLaren for rival teams and achieved earlier success. Despite having entered the 2024 season without a race victory, Norris now finds himself heading into 2025 with four wins, 26 podiums, and a Constructors’ Championship under his belt. This dramatic turnaround is a testament to both Norris’ talent and McLaren’s resurgence as a serious contender in Formula 1.

Throughout the 2024 season, McLaren was one of the strongest teams on the grid, regularly challenging Red Bull’s dominance. As the season progressed, McLaren found itself in a tight battle with Ferrari for the Constructors’ Championship. Heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi, the title fight was still wide open, with Ferrari and McLaren neck-and-neck in the standings. Meanwhile, Red Bull was out of the equation, as Sergio Perez’s struggles left them unable to defend their crown.

At the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Norris clinched his fourth career win, sealing McLaren’s first Constructors’ Championship since 1998. It was a monumental moment for both the team and the driver, who had endured years of setbacks but continued to believe in McLaren’s potential. The achievement marked a high point in what had been a long journey for Norris, who had endured a period of underperformance by McLaren before they finally regained competitiveness.

Despite the success that Norris is now enjoying with McLaren, the 25-year-old driver made a shocking admission: he had been offered opportunities to join other, race-winning teams earlier in his career. These teams, aware of Norris’ talent, had approached him when McLaren was struggling and not in a position to challenge for victories. Norris, however, chose to stay with McLaren, sticking to the team that gave him his big break in Formula 1. Reflecting on his decision, he shared that although leaving McLaren for another team might have resulted in earlier wins, he’s proud of his decision to remain loyal.

In a recent interview, Norris discussed the significance of McLaren’s Constructors’ Championship win and what it means to him personally. “I think the thing I’ll be proudest and most happy about is the fact I’m still here,” he said. “The fact I’m still in papaya because I believed in the team for many years.” This loyalty, despite the many temptations to leave for more successful teams, is something Norris holds dear.

He elaborated further, admitting that, at various points in his career, there had been moments when he was presented with offers to join teams that were more likely to deliver immediate success. However, Norris emphasized that his decision to stay with McLaren was always rooted in his belief in the team’s potential to return to the top of Formula 1. “I had those opportunities, but I believed and I wanted to simply do it with McLaren. I wanted to do it with the guys who gave me my opportunity in Formula 1,” he said.

Norris also revealed that, although McLaren’s championship victory wasn’t expected so soon, it felt like a much greater achievement because it came ahead of the team’s target timeline. “As much as we didn’t think it was going to be possible this year, we’re hoping for next year. Next year was our kind of in-line target, on-paper target. The fact we’re doing it this year is an even bigger achievement,” he reflected.

Looking back, Norris admitted that while the road to success at McLaren was long and filled with challenges, his decision to remain with the team proved to be the right one. The victory in Abu Dhabi and the Constructors’ title were not just a reward for Norris’ faith in the team but also a demonstration of his growing influence within McLaren as a leader. His win also underlined McLaren’s capability to challenge the established order in Formula 1, competing with the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari for the top positions.

With Norris and McLaren now firmly established as title contenders, the future looks bright for both the driver and the team. Norris has proven that loyalty, belief, and hard work can eventually pay off in Formula 1, where success is often fleeting and hard-earned. As McLaren enters the 2025 season, Norris will continue to be a key figure in their challenge for further championships, now fully confident in the potential of the team he helped rebuild.