Norris on Piastri's rookie start: 'He's done everything he's needed to'
F1 News
- Toby McLuskie
Having just scored a second-place finish in Singapore, Lando Norris must be over the moon at the moment, but he wasn't the only McLaren who had a strong weekend. Oscar Piastri gained 10 places to claim a points finish and just a few days later was rewarded with a new contract extension until 2026. Norris shared his thoughts on his teammates' new deal in the press conference in Japan today.
"Congrats to him. I think any contract that allows you to be longer in Formula 1 is a great thing," the Brit explained, before adding: "He's performed, he's done everything he's needed to. He probably exceeded most people's expectations from what he's been able to achieve already this season."
He then went in more depth and explained how strong Piastri has been this season and how it has been extremely enjoyable for the pair with McLaren. "He's pushed me a lot and it's not a nice thing. It's not what I want [laughs], but he's done a very good job. So, congratulations to him for another few years.
"We've had a fun first half of the season and a lot of progress. I think for him, to be part of that progress and to hopefully continue that into next year, 2025 and 2026 for himself, is going to be something to really look forward to."
Confidence in the duo from the Brit
Finally, when questioned on how strong the McLaren driver line-up now is compared to the rest of the grid, Norris gave a short and sweet answer of 'the strongest.'