Former champions McLaren have secured their Formula One line-up for the next few years after extending the contract of Australian rookie Oscar Piastri until the end of 2026.

Britain’s Lando Norris last year signed an extension through to the end of 2025, meaning McLaren can count on the pair until at least then.

“He’s an incredible talent and an asset to the team so it’s fantastic to be committing to each other in the long term,” McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said in a statement announcing Piastri’s extension on Wednesday.

“Oscar is already proving what he can do out on track and has been instrumental in the turnaround we’ve had so far this season.”

Piastri is 11th in the championship going into this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka and has best results of second in the Belgian Sprint race in July and fourth at Silverstone that same month.

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Last Sunday in Singapore, with a car lacking the upgrades that Norris enjoyed, he finished seventh with his teammate second.

McLaren is currently fifth overall after a poor start to the season, failing to score in the first two races but turning its form around with a big improvement from Austria in July.

Norris has now finished runner-up three times in the past six races.

Piastri was champion in Formula Two and Formula Three and joined McLaren under some controversy after rejecting a 2023 race seat at Renault-owned Alpine when Fernando Alonso left to join Aston Martin.

“The welcome that I have received and the relationships that I have built make this feel like home already,” he said on Wednesday.

“The team’s consistent commitment in me has made me feel incredibly valued and the desire from the team for me to be part of its long-term future made this an easy decision.

“To be wanted like that and for the team to show so much belief in me after just half a season, means a lot.”

-Reuters