The Briton has just announced a new deal that will keep him at McLaren beyond the 2026 season, although the exact length of his contract has not been revealed.
The early move to extend his contract, which originally ran until the end of 2025, came amid what was understood to be serious interest from several teams including Ferrari and Red Bull.
But while Norris did not deny that there had been talks with other squads – which he says is standard practice – he is clear that he only ever truly believed in an F1 future with McLaren.
"Everyone speaks to everyone and every driver speaks to every team," he said on Friday after announcing his new McLaren deal.
"It's not in terms of just sorting contracts. It's what can one team offer you, and what can another team offer you, and things like that.
"It's the same with every driver. Everyone speaks to every team on what could we potentially do one day, but nothing ever progressed more than that, basically.
"So yeah, it was shut down quite quickly.
"And, of course, as soon as you do start to get some of these questions, and I see a lot of it, then you have talks internally with Andrea [Stella] and Zak [Brown] and whoever it is here at McLaren.
"Then you start talking about your own stuff and you do want to put some of these rumours to bed, because it's not a good question at the team."
Signing early
The timing of Norris's decision to extend his contract now is interesting because, with a 2025 deal already in the bag, he could have waited longer to see how McLaren's competitiveness stacked up this year.
However, explaining why he jumped early, he said that continuing with the team that has become his 'family' was a no-brainer considering the trajectory they have been on together.
Asked why he did the deal now rather than waiting, Norris explained: "Because I can, because I'm in a good position. It's not something that I want to really worry about over the next few years.
"Obviously, there's always been these discussions going on [regarding] our future.
"I think it's just a very, very good time, especially when it's going to be coming to a couple of years where things start to get a bit more crazy with everyone else's contracts, and people potentially moving teams and things like that.
"Going into '26, and those years of new regulations, that's not something I think I or the team want to be thinking of, or focusing on, or spending any time on in such an important couple years.
"I'm comfortable, I'm happy with where I am, and the team are happy with me. So it's just an easy decision."
Norris also explained that him showing his faith at McLaren would also serve to boost morale at the team, and kill off potential damage that could be caused if rumours started swirling linking him with competitors.
"I'm sure when you work here and you have one of your drivers, and you see them getting linked to other teams, that's just probably never an easy thing to see," he said.
"So I think from my side, to give everyone here at McLaren just that bit more confidence within me, it shows my confidence in the whole team. I think that's really the most important thing.
"It's the thing I'm happiest about with getting the contract out.
"They are now even more assured that I'm committed to the team and staying, and that I've picked McLaren over, Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes, whatever team, it could have been.
"They now have that reassurance that I've picked McLaren over all of them.
"So I think it's more for them than it is for myself and all these things, but I do enjoy seeing the rumours and the conspiracies every now and then."
