Was Lando Norris right to sign a new multi-year McLaren F1 deal? Peter Windsor doesn’t think so.
Peter Windsor, a former F1 team manager, has expressed doubts about Lando Norris’ hasty commitment to McLaren. According to Windsor, Norris “didn’t need to do that.”
McLaren recently announced Norris’ new multi-year contract just a week before Lewis Hamilton’s surprising move to Ferrari was confirmed.
This move ensures that McLaren has Norris and Oscar Piastri as their drivers until at least the end of 2026, while also safeguarding their valuable assets under contract at Woking.
It is possible that McLaren CEO Zak Brown had prior knowledge of Hamilton’s potential switch to Ferrari, which could explain his eagerness to secure Norris on a new deal and fend off any potential interest from Mercedes or Red Bull.
In his personal YouTube channel, Windsor, who has previously served as team manager for Williams and Ferrari, analyzed Norris’ decision to hastily sign a new contract with McLaren. He questioned the reasoning behind this move, stating that it was unnecessary.
Windsor pointed out that it was evident McLaren would want to retain Norris due to the support he has received from McLaren CEO Zak Brown, as well as their longstanding relationship dating back to Formula 3. However, there were potential opportunities at Mercedes, Ferrari, and possibly Red Bull.
Considering Norris’ reputation as one of the future’s great stars, his talent, and his likable personality, Windsor questioned why he didn’t keep his options open for at least three or four months until Monaco. He believed that signing the contract at this point hasn’t been beneficial for Norris.
He has a great agreement with McLaren, but he still has Oscar Piastri – who is quite fast – in the other car, and now he has no opportunity to secure the Mercedes or Red Bull drive.
Windsor firmly believes that Red Bull will choose to re-sign Alex Albon as Perez’s replacement. According to him, the Thai driver has already secured a three-year contract.
“It seems like it’s going to be Alex Albon. If I were Lando Norris, I would definitely think, ‘I’m better than Albon, right?’ and yet it seems like he’s going to get the Red Bull seat,” he commented.
“I find this planning quite peculiar. Kudos to Zak Brown for pushing Lando to sign early on.
“That’s the only conclusion I can draw, that Zak made it one of his goals during the winter to secure Lando’s signature, and he succeeded.”
If I were in Lando’s position and had heeded my manager’s advice, I must admit that I would not be particularly impressed.
“What compelled him to act in such haste? He lacks knowledge of how things will unfold this year.”
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