Norris: Critics of long-term McLaren deal 'are clueless'

Lando Norris says those who are skeptical of his long-term deal with McLaren "know absolutely nothing", insisting the Woking-based outfit is "the best place" for him to be in Formula 1.

Norris has raced exclusively for McLaren since his promotion to Formula 1 in 2019. The 22-year-old has so far secured six podiums with the papaya squad, including a runner-up spot behind teammate Daniel Ricciardo at last year's Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

In February, Norris extended his allegiance to McLaren until the end of 2019. However, given the young charger's highly rated profile, many were surprised that Norris committed to such a long-term contract.

"They're clueless!" the Briton told Sky Sports F1.

"I don't know why... everyone thinks they know, he definitely could have gone here, he could have done that," he added.

"But most of the time they know absolutely nothing, all these people coming up with these conclusions."

Among those that claimed to be surprised by Norris' decision to extend his stay at Woking by three years after this season was former McLaren driver Jenson Button.

"For Lando, it was surprising that he signed such a long contract at the start of his career," Button told Sky Sports F1 at the time.

"We all want to be team players but you never know where the team is going to be in three years."

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Norris admitted the skepticism has "come from people that I have a lot of respect for and of course I respect their opinions."

"But at the same time, I have a good team around me so we know where I want to be and when, what the team can offer me going into the future.

"I still believe it's the best place for me because it's where I've grown up, I know what we have coming."

The introduction of F1 new regulations haven't allowed McLaren to race at the head of the field, where Red Bull and Ferrari are currently fighting for supremacy.

But Norris insists he's taking a long-term view on his F1 affairs.

"I have played, let's say, a little bit more of a long-term game rather than short-term," he said.

In a case of a bird in the hand being worth two in the bush, Norris feels that a move away from McLaren would not necessarily equate to success, as Daniel Ricciardo's career moves and subsequent struggles show.

"It's tough," said Norris. "I've not been in that situation so it's hard for me to speak on other people's behalves, but you see many other drivers, not just Daniel, go from team to team and it's obviously not easy to just go in and nail it.

"It does take time. Some are able to do it quicker than others, but it just shows how challenging it is, it shows it's not an easy car to drive, you have to understand everything to be on the limit."

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