Formula 1 driver Lando Norris has admitted he considered leaving McLaren after the British team’s horror start to the 2023 season.

The 23-year-old has become one of the most respected drivers on the F1 grid since his debut back in 2019, but this year’s campaign has been anything but smooth sailing for the British driver.

McLaren took a significant step backwards in 2023, with the Woking-based team’s car rarely cracking into the top ten during the opening few rounds.

Powerhouse teams Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari could have some vacancies in the coming years, and Norris confessed his eyes lingered towards other sections of the F1 paddock.

“In the back of my mind, there’s that impatient game of, ‘Do I stick it out for another few years, or is it time to look at something different?’” Norris told Sky Sports.

However, McLaren has drastically turned things around since the start of July, with the revamped MCL60 fighting alongside Ferrari and Mercedes during recent races in Great Britain and Hungary. Norris clinched second place in both events, while rookie teammate Oscar Piastri narrowly missed out on a maiden podium finish at Silverstone.

McLaren is currently fifth on the Constructors’ Championship with 103, building a healthy 46-point lead over rivals Alpine.

“The more we achieve things as we have done over the past few weeks, the more I’m very confident with the decision I made to stay until 2025, and the more confident I am that we can achieve our goals together in the future,” Norris continued.

“I want to win races with McLaren. I want to win in papaya, I want to win championships.

“I want to achieve my success and I want to achieve my goals with McLaren. That’s been my target since I’ve come here, since I’ve entered Formula 1 with this team.

“I guess I’m a loyal guy from that point of view, that I’ve joined the team, they gave me a chance in Formula 1 and I want to deliver and achieve success for them.

“And I think it’s a cooler story at the same time, to go from where we were a few years ago – a team that was really struggling – to fighting back and being that first team to really come back from a long way and fight for championships and wins.”

McLaren chief executive Zak Brown didn’t shy away from the fact there’s only one way the team can secure Norris’ services over the coming years.

“Give him a good race car,” Brown told Sky Sports after the Hungarian Grand Prix.

“Obviously we were all a bit frustrated at the start of the year, but now he has two second-place finishes. I think as long as we keep doing that, then he’ll stick around.”

The F1 season resumes with the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday, August 27.