Norris has committed his future to McLaren with what is being described only as a “multi-year” deal, which supersedes an existing contract that expired at the end of 2025.
The announcement from McLaren arrived less than a week before the shock news broke of Hamilton having decided to depart Mercedes at the end of the year to join Ferrari.
Autosport understands that Norris signed the new paperwork well in advance of the announcement, so the timing was not as tight as suggested. But the Brit still made clear that he had “no regrets” over pledging his future to Woking now the driver market landscape has changed.
Amid the Hamilton switch and Red Bull’s strong start to pre-season testing in Bahrain as it bids to retain the constructors’ title, Norris said: “No, I'm very happy. I could have waited; I had the choice.
“I knew opportunities were potentially coming my way. I knew what opportunities I had at the time, last year and coming into this year and what could have happened or what is happening over the next couple of years anyway. So, no regrets from any side.”
While the Hamilton switch came as a bombshell to the outside world, Autosport understands that Norris and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri had known it was in the works for a little longer.
Norris has made plain that McLaren’s pronounced 2023 in-season recovery – with the team maximising its existing resources to revive its fortunes – plus building a new wind tunnel and completing coup signings David Sanchez (from Ferrari) and Rob Marshall (Red Bull chief engineering officer) further convinced him to remain.
He continued: “I'm confident in my team and confident in what we've been able to achieve and what we can achieve going into the future. I'm very happy with where I am.
“Of course, I could be happier if we were achieving more of the goals that I think we all want to achieve.
“But the main point is: I'm enjoying my time with the guys that I'm with. For me, that's always a big part of my life – I want to enjoy where I am.
“I think that's an important part of trying to improve as a team at the same time and knowing everyone and pushing everyone.
“Everyone's capable of getting to the goal of being the top team in Formula 1. So, very happy.”
