Lando Norris, the reigning Formula 1 world champion, explained that his standing within McLaren now gives him the latitude to be assertive and pursue the outcomes he desires, following his recent contract extension with the team. Norris clinched his first title in 2025, becoming the first driver to bring a world championship to McLaren since Lewis Hamilton achieved the feat for the outfit in 2008. After a hard‑fought season‑long duel with teammate Oscar Piastri, the Briton not only secured the championship but also cemented his superiority over the Australian in the early stages of the 2026 campaign. The 26‑year‑old’s importance to the Woking‑based squad was formalised on Saturday when he signed a new deal that keeps him at McLaren until at least the close of the 2030 season, with an additional multi‑year option that could see the agreement stretch even further.
During an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News, Norris reflected on how his role inside the garage has evolved over the years. "You learn over time when to speak up and when to hold back," he said.
"In the early stages of your career you’re careful not to overstep any boundaries – I certainly wouldn’t raise my voice over anyone else." He went on to describe how his responsibilities now extend far beyond merely piloting the car. "My job isn’t just to drive; it’s about leadership – how can I guide the team, be a voice for the engineers, mechanics and everyone else who works here?
How can I push them to improve while also challenging myself? It’s about teamwork and collective ambition." Norris is entering his eighth year with McLaren, having been handed his Formula 1 debut by the team as a 19‑year‑old in 2019. With 163 Grand Prix starts, he now holds the team record, surpassing fellow Brit David Coulthard’s 150‑race tally at last year’s Qatar Grand Prix. He continued, "I’ve come to understand the influence I can wield over the direction we take as a team.
I never want to misuse that power, but I recognise that I can be forceful when I need to – whether it’s about the car’s development, the team’s strategy, or the people around me. As an athlete, you have to know how to advocate for yourself, regardless of the sport." "I feel I’m in a great position right now, surrounded by the right people – the team leaders, engineers, and the whole crew.
Their work ethic is the most important factor, and that’s what drives our success," he added. McLaren’s early‑season struggles seemed to jeopardise Norris’s chances of defending his title, but a series of upgrades to the MCL40 have turned the tide, delivering victories in Hungary and the Netherlands.
The win at Zandvoort narrowed his gap to championship leader Kimi Antonelli to 83 points with eleven races left. Norris sits fourth in the standings and still needs to overtake both Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who are 59 points behind the Italian.
Comparisons have been drawn to the previous year’s championship battle, when Piastri led Norris by 34 points and Max Verstappen by 104 points with nine rounds remaining, only for the Red Bull driver to lose form. Norris eventually claimed the title by a narrow two‑point margin over Verstappen, while Piastri finished 13 points behind his teammate. When asked what lessons he could take from Verstappen’s comeback, Norris replied, "It shows that anything is possible if you keep believing, work hard and keep motivating the team in the right way.
We didn’t do anything fundamentally worse than them; we simply made some mistakes at critical moments." Norris, who currently enjoys a 55‑point cushion over seventh‑placed Piastri, hinted that the team may prioritize his championship bid for the remainder of the year. "We weren’t doing anything wrong at the time; we just had two drivers fighting for the same championship. It’s a similar scenario to what Mercedes is experiencing now," he said. "There isn’t much to take away except to keep believing that it’s possible until it isn’t, and that’s the mindset we’ll fight with." Looking ahead, Formula 1 will head to Monza for Ferrari’s home race, the Italian Grand Prix, on September 4‑6, broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.
The event will be streamed via NOW, with a flexible, cancel‑anytime subscription model.