Knowledge is power, and Lando Norris believes that the injection of fresh perspective and new ways of thinking will drive the team forward, as the 23-year-old talked up his excitement for 2024 and beyond.  

Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Lando was asked for his thoughts on our new technical structure, which includes the recruitment of Rob Sanchez and Rob Marshall from Ferrari and Red Bull, respectively.  

Asked whether he was excited by these appointments and the direction of the team, Lando responded: “From the side of the team and the new people, very happy.  

“Some big names are coming in, some great additions that have been in the sport for many years, who have been a crucial part in a lot of success in other teams. Knowledge and personnel are some of the biggest things in Formula 1.” 

Rob Sanchez and Rob Marshall are set to join McLaren in 2024 as part of a new technical structure, with Sanchez taking on the role of Technical Director, Car Concept and Performance after a decade at Ferrari, and Marshall becoming Technical Director, Engineering & Design, after 17 years with Red Bull.  

They’ll form a new-look senior technical team that also includes Peter Prodromou, Technical Director, Aerodynamics, and Neil Houldey, Deputy Technical Director, Engineering & Design. Sanchez and Marshall will bolster the talent already in the building at the McLaren Technology Centre. 

Adding to our already impressive workforce was identified as a key priority for Andrea Stella following his appointment as Team Principal in December. It’s an opinion that was shared by Lando, who welcomed the boost in talent.  

“It is not that we had bad people because that is absolutely not true, it was just making the force bigger,” Lando continued. “That is what we needed to go and compete against these other teams: Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari. It is still fresh, but already at the factory, there have been some good improvements, like the development rate, new ideas, and new perspectives. 

He’s been viewed as a leader inside the team for some time now, not because he is proactively trying to be but because of how he naturally carries himself. The age and experience of the driver on the other side of the garage won’t change that, it’s just the next natural step in his progression.

“Maybe it will be different in the sense that I am the guy with more experience within the team,” he says. “But I’ll be carrying on as I did before, which was doing my best. I have got more experience in Formula 1, but then Oscar has driven different Formula 1 cars, in terms of testing for other teams, whereas I have only ever driven McLaren cars. So, there will still be things he can add that I cannot simply because of that. But mainly, nothing really changes – I will do my part, and he will do his, it’s as simple as that.

“In terms of leadership, I think it is just a natural evolution as a driver. I don’t think it’s something that I would say I consciously go out of my way to achieve, it’s not something I think of. I do whatever I can to help the team and whatever I can to help myself.

“A lot of exciting things. I guess I try in a way to not look too much to the future, but when you are struggling and having difficult weekends, you then want to look at the future. I am very excited by what McLaren are doing, what they have done and the changes coming ahead.” 

Sanchez and Marshall have been part of considerable success in their Formula 1 careers and arrive with more than 40 years of experience in the sport.  

“I don’t know these guys personally, I have not been in Formula 1 anywhere near as long as the people who recruited these guys, I just have the respect of knowing what they have done and what they have achieved, whether it was at Red Bull or Ferrari, or whatever team.  

“I look forward to working with these people. They are the Formula 1 drivers of their profession. When you hear them talking, and they go into the details, I love that stuff, it is impressive.”