It’s one of the hottest rumors in Formula 1: is Lando Norris moving to Red Bull, and if so when? Ralf Schumacher had fueled speculation after Zandvoort in his Sky column when he wrote that he “could imagine” “Lando Norris becoming Verstappen’s new teammate. The two seem to be good friends.”
The catch: Norris signed a contract with McLaren in February 2022, at that time still under team boss Andreas Seidl, which runs until the end of 2025. And when asked by Motorsport-Total.com whether Norris is de facto not for sale, no matter what another team would offer in return, McLaren CEO Zak Brown replies resolutely: “Correct.”
“Lando will drive at McLaren until 2025. Definitely,” emphasizes Brown in the interview, which will only be published in full on Motorsport-Total.com after Monza. And also makes it clear that not even a possible financial incentive or a concession on the part of Red Bull Powertrains (RBPT) in terms of engine delivery from 2026 could change his mind.
Norris would at least like Verstappen as a teammate: “We get along well with each other. And he’s definitely one of the best drivers at the moment. I’m sure it would be exciting to form a team together.” But: “It’s impossible at the moment. He signed a long-term contract with McLaren. Maybe that wasn’t so smart!”
Industry experts consider it unlikely that anyone would voluntarily do Verstappen as a teammate at Red Bull in a team built around the soon to be three-time world champion. Verstappen has already outclassed up-and-coming talents like Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon, and even Daniel Ricciardo found it increasingly difficult to stand up to him at the end of their time together.
Surprise: Norris would be open to a change
But Norris says at least that he can imagine such a change in principle: “In the future,” he emphasizes, “that would definitely be something I’m open to. It would be great to drive alongside someone like him, and at the same time see where I stand compared to that. I’d be open to that.”
Especially since it would not be the first time that Red Bull knocked at Norris. Helmut Marko first approached his manager in 2016, when Norris was still driving Formula Renault, to offer him a place on the Red Bull junior team. And later there was another contact by Christian Horner, which is documented. Nothing has resulted from this so far.
Can Verstappen choose his teammates?
The Ralf Schumacher theory is ultimately also based on the fact that, in his opinion, the relationship between Verstappen and Sergio Perez is not as intact as Red Bull conveys to the outside world. In 2022 there were first cracks in the relationship, some of which became visible. And: “I assume that Verstappen will ultimately decide who will be his teammate,” writes Schumacher in his column.
That was also “nothing unusual. That already existed at Senna, my brother also had this right. When a driver like Verstappen contributes so much to the team’s success, I think it’s good that you have your back as free as possible.”
Horner: Perez has a contract for 2024, but …
So, question from Motorsport-Total.com to Horner: Would you consider contacting Norris again? Either for 2024, or for 2025 when Perez’s contract expires, or for 2026 when Norris’ McLaren contract also expires?
At least Horner’s answer doesn’t sound like a firm denial: “Lando is a great driver. There’s no doubt about it. And you can see that his potential continues to grow.” But he makes it clear: “He’s a McLaren driver and we have to accept the agreements that exist there.”
“At the moment he is definitely one of the few drivers who … He is doing a great job in this sport. However, we have already confirmed our drivers for 2024. We still have a cockpit free for 2025. You can imagine that we have no lack of interest in the cockpit. But that’s a long way off at the moment.”
Brown confirms talks with Red Bull Powertrains
Red Bull could offer arguments to convince McLaren to release Norris early. Not only in the form of a transfer fee in the millions, but possibly also in the form of a delivery of engines. For Red Bull Powertrains, a customer team like McLaren, with whom one could collect additional data for development, might be an asset.
And it’s no secret that the first talks about an engine delivery from RBPT to McLaren have already taken place: “It’s true, we visited Red Bull in their new factory. What they’re doing there is impressive,” confirms Brown, but emphasizes at the same time that it is his job to hold talks with all manufacturers (except Ferrari).
Norris: Great respect for Verstappen
In any case, it would fit between Verstappen and Norris on a human level. The two have similar interests, often taking part in sim racing competitions together and have been spotted together in nightclubs in the past. And Norris is not afraid of Verstappen, but has great respect.
“Max is probably one of the best drivers in Formula 1 history,” he says. “I never raced directly against him before Formula 1, I was always below the category. It was in 2012 or 2013 that I met and got to know him for the first time. So I’ve seen what he does and it’s not just because of Red Bull. No matter what car he drives, he always performs at the highest level.”
But a lot has to happen for Norris to switch to Red Bull in 2024. In the “Silly Season” of Formula 1, this is not the most likely variant. Because if Perez performs halfway in the remaining races of the season, there is no reason for Red Bull to replace him prematurely.