Official: Norris and Sainz extended by McLaren in 2020

Currently the fourth strongest team on the grid, McLaren could not have hoped for a better start to the season. The arrival of Andreas Seidl, the fruitful partnership with Renault, and the signing of two very promising drivers are the key factors in this success, marked by a significant climb in the standings compared to 2018.

The two drivers of the eight-time world champion team, in addition to getting along wonderfully, deliver impressive performances like Lando Norris and his 6th place in Austria or Carlos Sainz who climbed from 19th position to finish 8th in the same race. This stability provides the team led by Zak Brown with a serenity that is only beneficial for its rebuilding and return as a top team.

After realizing that his future was no longer with the Red Bull team, the Spanish driver marked with the number 55 decided to pack his bags in Surrey. Experienced and determined to prove his talent, Sainz is handling his role as team leader very well. Young McLaren protégé since 2017, young Briton Lando Norris does not disappoint and makes people forget his predecessor, Stoffel Vandoorne. Thanks to his many hours spent on simulators, Norris has as much experience as many of his rivals on the grid despite only starting this year.

Andreas Seidl, the director of McLaren, is delighted to extend the contracts of both drivers: « Today’s announcement provides the team with continuity to continue our forward march. The performances of Carlos and Lando have been a key element in the team’s progress. Their feedback has allowed our engineers to develop the MCL34 and look towards the MCL35. Carlos has played a crucial role in the car’s development using his experience, while Lando has been incredibly quick with the demands of Formula 1 and is gaining confidence each weekend. It’s great news for the entire McLaren team, and we look forward to continuing our partnership together. »

The British team, sitting in the best of the rest position, has a 20-point lead over its direct competitor, Renault. A comfortable cushion of points credited to the consistency of the two drivers. The McLaren Boys have only finished outside the top ten on three occasions: in Australia, China, and Canada.

The British team also took advantage of this announcement to confirm Sergey Sirotkin’s arrival as a reserve driver for the rest of the season. The Russian driver, a defector from Renault, will therefore support the two main drivers starting from the British Grand Prix this weekend.

“Did we just become best friends?” 🤔@Carlossainz55 @LandoNorris

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) July 9, 2019