McLaren celebrating Norris' 100th F1 race in Austin

In his fifth season in top flight and with McLaren, Norris will mark his 100th F1 participation, with one pole position and 11 podiums in the bag already, but that elusive first win not achieved yet.

Norris has been enjoying a strong second half of the 2023 F1 season after McLaren brought a major upgrade back in Austria that converted their MCL60 into a seriously fast machine, which the Briton put to good use delivering five of his 11 podiums in it.

"I'm really excited to head back to Austin and kickstart our final triple header of the season," Norris said ahead of this weekend's United States Grand Prix, another Sprint weekend.

"The US GP is always a fun weekend, and it's extra special this year as it marks my 100th race in F1, and of course with McLaren. It's a great place to celebrate it, as the fans always bring a fantastic atmosphere," he pointed out.

"It was incredible to achieve another double podium in Qatar. We've been consistent, and our hard work is paying off. Last week I was back at the MTC to take a moment to celebrate with the team, review my weekend and what I could have done better and spent some time in the sim preparing for the next three races, seeing where else we can improve.

"It'll be a challenge, but we're determined to bring back some more points for the team," Norris concluded.

Oscar Piastri will be driving at the Circuit of the Americas for the first time this weekend, but is still relishing his Qatar Grand Prix weekend, where he won the Sprint race and took second place in the grand prix.

Piastri said: "What a weekend to remember in Qatar! Back-to-back podiums and a P1 in the Sprint. It's been a great couple of races, and I'm looking forward to experiencing the US GP for the first time as an F1 driver.

"I've never raced at the Circuit of The Americas before, so I can't wait to feel the incredible energy that the fans create there. It's a cool circuit with sections of the track that are reminiscent of other circuits on the calendar and it's also another Sprint weekend, so more opportunities for points!" Piastri maintained.

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella is looking to maximize the team's potential this weekend in Austin, he added: "After a successful Sprint event in Qatar, we returned to MTC with four trophies and the record for the fastest pit-stop in F1.

"We now look ahead to the final five races of the season and another Sprint weekend in Austin. This weekend we're also celebrating another milestone with Lando's 100th race in F1, which is a significant achievement for a driver still so early in his career.

"Austin always brings a fantastic atmosphere, with incredible fans and exciting racing," the Italian went on. "We head into this penultimate Sprint event determined to maximise our results wherever possible. We expect our competition to be strong, and the next few races may be more challenging for us.

"However, we go racing with the aim of scoring important points for the Constructors' Championship," Stella concluded.

McLaren are chasing Aston Martin for fourth in the 2023 F1 Constructors' Championship with an 11-point gap to close, while both its drivers not ruling out overhauling Ferrari for third where the gap is 79 points.