Lewis Hamilton Bailing on Mercedes Sparks Ideas in Lando Norris’ Mind: “That Was a Cool Move to Do”

IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

Lando Norris signed a contract extension with McLaren earlier this year, that will keep him tied to the team until 2026. He reaffirmed his faith in the team, despite past troubles, and insisted that he will end up winning with them. However, Lewis Hamilton signing with Ferrari just months after agreeing to a deal with Mercedes has piqued the interest of the Bristol-born driver.

Speaking to RACER, the 24-year-old claimed that a Lewis Hamilton-esque move to Ferrari would be “cool.”

“I would never say no to it. I think it’s still a cool thing like that. But I would say the Lewis [Hamilton] move is cool. That’s all I would say. And I respected that. I thought that was a cool move to do.”

Norris, per this interview, is a fan of how Hamilton achieved his life-long dream of signing with Ferrari. But that doesn’t mean that he will pull of a similar move (yet). In 2023, McLaren started the season horribly, and Norris struggled to put his car into the top 10 on several occasions. However, with time, they brought in upgrades which turned their season around.

Norris finished on the podium a total of seven times in 2023, and the progress made by his team was enough to convince him that the future is bright. Hence, heading into the 2024 campaign, Norris signed an extension.

Even before that, Norris didn’t have to worry about his future . His previous contract ran until 2025, allowing him to focus on his racing. Nearly a week after Norris announced he would extend his stay in Woking, Hamilton dropped the bombshell news of his Mercedes departure.

Lando Norris does not regret his decisions

Norris had a contract heading into the 2024 campaign, but Hamilton’s Ferrari move created the potential for a domino effect that could have seen several shock movements between the teams. There is still a vacancy at Mercedes, as the team keeps searching for a Hamilton’s replacement.

Norris could have chosen to join the Silver Arrows, or take a look at the Red Bull seat (which he was strongly linked to). Still, he chose to continue his F1 journey with McLaren, with whom he has been with since making his debut in 2019.

Quoted by Sky Sports, Norris expressed confidence in McLaren’s plans. “I’m confident in my team, I’m confident in what we’ve been able to achieve and what we can achieve going into the future, and I’m very happy with where I am.”

Norris is excited to move forward with McLaren. The British driver believes his team is capable of becoming a top team in the near future and admitted to currently enjoying his time, further reaffirming his faith in the Woking-based team.