Lando Norris has been crediteꦛd for committing early to staying at McLaren.

Norris penned a new multi-year deal with McLaren before the 2024 F1 season star💟ted - o♐nly for the driver market to then explode with Lewis Hamilton's shock move to Ferrari.

It means that Norris is no longer on the table as an option for Mercedes, as a Hamilton replacement, or for Red Bul𒊎l if they choose to axe Sergio Perez.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff even admitted that Norris and Charles Leclerc (who signed a ꩵnew Ferrari deal) would have interested him, if they were available.

But Norris ha⛄s not naively missed an opportu💃nity, Natalie Pinkham told the podcast.

"I don't think so. I think it's a really smart move," she sa💧id.

"McLaren are going in the right direction and they continue to 𝓀do so.

"He played down their chances at the start of the season. I know they lac🌌k pace in a stra🅷ight line. He was frustrated in Saudi.

"But there is something so important about being loy✅ಞal to a team, sticking to a team, moulding that team around you.

"Lando has been clever, in that respect.

"I'd love to see him in the Red Bull. That would be great to see him perform alongside⛦ Max.

"But everythingꦇ is a risk. You make the wrong move at the wrong time in your career and it can change everything.

"I think [Norris has been] smart."

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has hailed his young and exciting driver duo of Norris 𒈔and Oscar Piastri as the best combo in F1.

"The best for McLaren is to have two great drivers pushing each other," L'Equipe's Fred 📖Ferret said.

🌼"T🌟hat's how to grow and become one of the top teams."

Piastri, in his second year in F1, can push Norris to be McLaren's 𓂃star driver.

"Last year he♏ was bril෴liant as a rookie," Pinkham said.

"T꧒here were a few mistakes but he was laser-focused on ironing them out💯.

"🦄I feel like, this year, his shoulders are back and he has grown a co🔯uple of inches.

"I don't know if that♛'s innate in him or great ꦯmentorship from Mark Webber."