Lando Norris was a driver in demand after a stellar 2021 campaign that yielded four podiums. But despite “little chats” with rival Formula 1 teams, the 22-year-old says he signed a big four-year extension with McLaren to send out a “strong message” that he is committed to staying put.

“There were opportunities that I think we knew would be coming up in the future with various teams,” said Norris. “This is a very strong message to put out [about] the faith we have in each other and how strongly I believe McLaren can recover still and get to the front in the next few years, even with those opportunities that could arise in one year, two years, three years’ time.”

There would have been interest from the bigger teams in the coming years had Norris continued his impressive trajectory, and while the Briton said he had considered that when discussing such a long deal with McLaren, he ultimately felt the best move for him was to remain at the team he began working with back in 2017.

“I have to weigh in all the factors – it’s still my own career that I am focusing on,” he said. “I looked at all the best options for me… as a driver, the best for me as a person and in the longer term, what is the best thing for me. Of course, there will be opportunities for other drivers I am sure [to] maybe go to Red Bull or Mercedes. Who knows if I would have had those opportunities?

“But the fact is, I still have chosen to commit to McLaren, so I think that’s quite a strong message, it’s quite a strong thing that this is still where I want to be, it’s where I want to achieve race wins and podiums and championships, and that’s all.

Norris and Ricciardo will reveal McLaren’s 2022-spec MCL36 on February 11.