Lando Norris targets race wins as the next challenge for McLaren

McLaren driver Lando Norris mentioned that he is targeting race wins in the 2024 season after a slew of podiums last year.

The British driver was one of the standouts of 2023 as he claimed several podiums and was the closest challenger to Red Bull and Max Verstappen on many occasions. Despite several reports that he might jump ship after his contract expired in 2025, Norris recently decided to extend his stay with the Woking-based team for a few more years.

Speaking with Motorsport.com, Lando Norris emphasized that he and McLaren got close in 2023 to breaking their duck-in race wins and would target the same before 2026. He said:

"[There were] moments we were close to winning races last year, and a few races we were not miles away from a Red Bull. And, when you think of it, it was the most competitive car ever in F1. So, with the knowledge, if you want to win one race, we are the closest we've ever been since I've been here at McLaren and for many, many years."

"But fighting for a championship is a bigger step. If you asked me, 'Do you think you can win races this year?' I'd probably be more inclined to say yes."

Lando Norris chimes in on McLaren challenging their rivals in 2024

The British driver stated that he and McLaren are ready to challenge anyone in the upcoming season but also accepted that they need to be more consistent in their results and performance.

Lando Norris pointed out that the things they have executed have turned out well in the last year. He said:

"Do I think we're ready to challenge them? Absolutely in those situations, and there are opportunities where we've been fighting against Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, and we've been fighting them and going against them head to head in strategy and pitstops and all of those things."

"The majority of the time we've executed things extremely well. So, when it comes to pressure, I think everyone here is in a very good position. But I feel I'm ready to go against Max and Lewis and fight against them."

It will be interesting to see if Lando Norris can claim his maiden race win in 2024 and challenge Max Verstappen and Red Bull in every race ahead of the new engine regulations in 2026.