Brown: 'Winning car' will keep Norris at McLaren

Zak Brown isn't worried about losing Lando Norris to a rival team as the McLaren racing boss is convinced his outfit will supply the Briton with a winning car in the future.

Ever since his promotion to Formula 1 with McLaren in 2019, Norris' stock has continuously trended higher.

With each passing season, the talented 23-year-old driver has improved his already refined skills and built on his experience, and with the right equipment there's little doubt that Norris' first F1 win is just around the corner.

But as one of Formula 1's hottest properties, generous offers are sure to come the young Briton's way, even if Norris is contracted to McLaren until the end of 2025.

Red Bull's Christian Horner recently revealed that he had talked with Norris a number of times in the past and he might well touch base again with the Briton in the future.

So, is Brown worried that Norris could be tempted to jump ship if McLaren doesn't hold up its end of the bargain?

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"No, because I'm convinced we're going to give him a winning car," said the McLaren boss, quoted by Motorsport.com.

"We have a long-term contract with him. I think he feels very comfortable within the team.

"Other than obviously the pressure we put on ourselves, because we don't want to just give him a winning car, we want to give us a winning car. So, I think we've got a runway to get there.

"He knows the journey we're on. He has bought into the journey that we're on, and I think it'd be early to be worried about it."

Brown has been impressed by Norris since his graduation to Formula 1 as the Briton has confirmed at the upper level the promise displayed in the lower echelons of the sport, something that has not always been the case in the past with other young drivers.

"Every step along the way, he gave you a reason to believe the next step he was going to be great," added Brown.

"But we've seen drivers that have been great along the way and then, when they get to the top, you don't know if it was them or the situation: Jan Magnussen right? He was mega in everything and then didn't quite work in F1. Jos Verstappen was often mega in everything, it didn't quite work in F1.

"Lando was mega in everything. And it has worked in F1. In fact, what I think I'm happiest to see is not just pure pace, but how few mistakes he makes, and how strong his racecraft is.

"Looking at Lando, year one. He had the pace, but probably didn't have his elbows out enough. And now he's fair, but he's a tough character when you are racing."

Norris will be McLaren's unquestionable leader in 2023, but he'll also be paired with a highly rated rookie in Oscar Piastri.

And Brown believes the two drivers will be closely matched.

"I think Lando is one of the fastest drivers on the grid and I expect Oscar to be close," said the McLaren boss.

"I expect Oscar to have some opportunities to beat him and vice versa. And that's obviously what you want, right? It's two drivers right next to each other and reversing the order."

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