MELBOURNE, Australia — Lando Norris says it is “short-sighted” to believe McLaren has a clear advantage over its rivals to start the Formula One season, instead anticipating a four-team fight at the front.

Lando Norris has downplayed suggestions McLaren is the team to beat ahead of the new Formula 1 season, saying rivals including Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes looked "extremely strong" in testing.

Piastri’s performances last season led to rival teams potentially wanting to make a play to lure him away from McLaren. Naturally, the team’s CEO, Zak Brown, would have been eager to tie the two-time Grand Prix winner down, irrespective of the financial implications.

After helping McLaren to a constructor's championship in 2024, Oscar Piastri was rewarded with a multi-year contract worth nearly $26 million per year, according to Racing News 365. The new deal replaces Piastri's contract that ran through 2026 and was set to pay him over $7 million per season.

Oscar Piastri has committed his long-term future to McLaren after signing a multi-year contract extension with the British Formula 1 team beyond 2026.