Other F1 teams were interested in Lando Norris before he recommitted to McLaren until 2025, according to Lando Norris.

Lando Norris of McLaren has disclosed that he had interest from other teams prior to signing to the Woking-based team until the end of the 2025 season.

Norris debuted in Formula One with McLaren in 2019 and has since established himself as one of the sport’s greatest talents.

McLaren and Norris have agreed to a new long-term deal that will keep the Briton at the team for the next four seasons after Norris finished sixth in the 2021 Drivers’ Championship.

Norris, on the other hand, has acknowledged that he had other options, even though he never seriously considered quitting McLaren.

“There were little chats, here and there,” he told select members of the media, including RacingNews365.com.

“But that’s all; nothing, obviously, went far. As soon as something came up, I went to Andreas [Seidl, McLaren Team Principal] and we had a little conversation about what our future holds and so on.

“There were little things with various other teams, but nothing that went far at all.”

Norris, on the other hand, refused to say which of the other teams turned his head.

“Which teams? That’s something I can’t say!” he laughed in response.

“You’d probably be able to guess reasonably well, but that’s all!”

Staying with McLaren is a “strong message”

Given the fact that he had alternative options, Norris indicated that his decision to stay with McLaren for the long term sends a “strong message.”

“Of course, there will be opportunities now for other drivers to do things, and maybe go to Red Bull or Mercedes, and who knows if I would have had those opportunities?” he pondered.

“But I think the fact that it’s known, or the fact I would have had those opportunities, but I still have chosen to stay with McLaren, is the good thing about this.

“The fact I’ve still chosen to commit to McLaren, I think that is quite a strong message. This is where I want to be, where I want to achieve race wins, podiums and championships.

“I did weigh up all the factors for my own benefit, and what I think could have come up in the next few years with drivers leaving, and so on.

“But, in the end, McLaren, for me, was still the best option. So that’s why I’m most happy to be here and commit to my team.”

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