Lando Norris has no opportunities to leave his McLaren contract early, CEO Zak Brown has revealed.
The Briton is currently signed at the Woking-based team until the end of 2025, but speculation over his future has been building after a difficult start to the season.
However, in Australia, Brown ruled out any prospect of a move away from McLaren and remains convinced the team can convince Norris to even stay.
“He has zero exit clauses,” he told Sky Sports.
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“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 consider leaving], but 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,” the American added.
“He is along for the journey, and we have got some time to prove to him that we are going to give him a car capable of winning.”
In Australia, Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri scored their first points of the season in sixth and eighth, a result that lifted McLaren from 10th to fifth in the Constructors’ standings.
Beforehand, however, there had been growing external criticism at McLaren, as well as reports of tensions building within.
“I guess I’m at a point where it doesn’t affect me in any way,” Norris said of the chatter.
“I’m fine with it to an extent, apart from when it’s just complete BS that people come up with and completely fake stories that people make up.
Pure grit and utter determination is what it took for @LandoNorris to overcome a superb Nico Hulkenberg after a multiple laps-long battle Down Under! ??
A happy day for Lando, who also picked up his first points of the year ?#AusGP #F1 @McLarenF1 pic.twitter.com/UfuCWPAsDG
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 2, 2023
“To a certain point, harsh criticism is acceptable, it makes sense. You don’t like it when it’s too much and people in the team start to get affected by it.
“But I think we do a good job within the team, within McLaren explaining things to people, telling them what’s going on, explaining my side of the story and things that go on with me, things that go on within teams.
“So yeah, it’s tough, it’s the world we live in. It’s just what you’ve got to deal with sometimes. So, I’m fine with it, the team is fine with it.”