Lando Norris has been credited for committing early to staying🐼 at McLa♔ren.

Norris penned a new multi-y𝐆ear deal with McLaren before the 2024 F1 season started - only for the driver market to then explode with Lewis Hamilton's shock mo💎ve to Ferrari.

It mean🃏s that Norris is no longer on the table as an option for Mercedes, as a Hamilton replacement, or for Red Bull if they choose to axe Sergꦬio Perez.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff even admitted that Norris and Charles Leclerc (who signed a new Ferrari deal) would have✅ in🌠terested him, if they were available.

But Norris has n🦋ot naively missed an opportunity, Natalie Pinkham told the podcast.

"I don't think so. I think it's a really s💃mart move," she said.

"McLaren 𝓰are going in the right direction and the♚y continue to do so.

"He played down their chances at the start of the season. I know they 🌼l🌳ack pace in a straight line. He was frustrated in Saudi.

"But there is something so important about being loyal to a team, sticking to a team, moulding that ൲team 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 everything 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 excitin🌸g driver duo of Norris and Oscar Piastri as the best combo in F1.

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

"That's how to grow༺ and bဣecome one of the top teams."

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

"Last y൩ear he w𝔉as brilliant as a rookie," Pinkham said.

"There were a few mistakes but he wওas laser-focused on ironingꦬ them out.

"I feel l꧂ike, this year, his shoulderꦦs are back and he has grown a couple of inches.

"I♎ don't know if that's innate in him or 𝔉great mentorship from Mark Webber."