McLaren has bluntly told Red Bull that British Formula 1 driver Lando Norris is not available for a possible switch to become Verstappen’s teammate.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has made it clear that there is no price that they would be willing to trade Lando Norris for should Red Bull decide to pursue signing him.
For a considerable amount of time, Red Bull has been thinking about acquiring Lando Norris from McLaren in order to partner with Max Verstappen.
However, It is unlikely that McLaren’s most recent effort to fend off the champions persuing their top driver will be enough to stop them. Cash is king in Formula 1, therefore Red Bull doesn’t really care that Norris has a contract that expires at the end of 2025.
Since joining the McLaren driver lineup in 2019 after graduating from their junior program, Norris has grown to be an indispensable member of the squad. He has established himself as one of the sport’s rising talents and a driver who most believe has the potential to contend for the World Championship honors in a competitive car.
McLaren is working hard to deliver that kind of competitive car, and they made a significant stride in that direction with their successful 2023 campaign. However, the team that has shut down claims that Red Bull is closely monitoring Norris’ situation.
Red Bull will put the British star on their short list as potential Sergio Perez replacements considering that they have been pursuing him for years. However, McLaren CEO Zak Brown is adamant his team will not entertain any discussions in the event Red Bull decides to try to buy out Lando’s contract.
“He’s a great asset to the racing team,” Brown said of Norris when speaking to Sky Sports F1. “There’s no number we’d be interested in trading him for.”
As far as the drivers’ immediate futures are concerned, McLaren is rather safe. Norris still has two seasons left on his contract while teammate Oscar Piastri has committed to remaining with the Woking-based outfit following an outstanding rookie season.
Brown is eager to persuade Norris to sign a contract extension and silence any rumors of Red Bull interests for as long as possible, after being fully aware that their star driver might still have a change of mind.
“We do have a little bit more runway with both Norris and Piastri but, certainly, Norris is hot property, if you like,” Brown added. “So, we would like to lock him down sooner rather than later.
“I think he is very much enjoying his time at McLaren – the dream is to win races and a world championship together and I think Lando is all-in for achieving that with us.”
At his age, Norris has taken part in over 100 Formula 1 races; however, he has not yet taken home a win, despite coming close on multiple times.
The McLaren driver has aspirations to become a world champion and he is widely regarded as a future champion. To McLaren’s relief, he has already stated that, if possible, he would like to achieve this with his current squad.
“I’ve always said I want to win with McLaren,” Norris said last season. “I think we’re getting closer and closer to achieving that. And not just to win races, but win championships – both drivers’ and constructors’.
“I want to do it with McLaren. I’m very happy there.”
