McLaren CEO Shoots Down Lando Norris Departure Rumours: "Zero Exit Clauses"
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has shut down rumours of Lando Norris leaving the team amid the ongoing struggles.
The Woking-based squad have had a less-than-ideal start to the 2023 season. Oscar Piastri was forced to retire from the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix whilst Norris had to pit six times with a pneumatic leak. Saudi Arabia was not much better for the team when both cars suffered damage in the early stages of the race, leaving Piastri and Norris finishing in fifteenth and seventeenth, respectively.
Thankfully they were able to turn things around slightly for the Australian Grand Prix and managed to stay out of the chaos with eight retirements all together from the dramatic race. Both Norris and Piastri put their first points on the board ending in sixth and eighth, respectively.
Rumours have started floating around of Norris looking to leave the team despite him being in contract until the end of 2025. However, the Belgian-British driver has publicly said he is staying loyal to the team.
Brown has explained to Sky Sports F1, that there are no exit clauses in Norris' contract so he is unable to leave anyway. He explained:
"He has zero exit clauses. 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."
Despite his firm statement, Brown added that he and the whole team are still very much motivated to provide Norris with a winning car.
Racing will be getting underway again at the end of the month for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on April 28-30 after the four-week break. The papaya team will be looking to continue with their streak from Australia and get some more points on the board.