Lando Norris is unlikely to be Sergio Perez’s long-term replacement at Red Bull after Christian Horner confirmed earlier that he does not see a way that having two ‘number one drivers’ can lead to a harmonious team-mate relationship.
The 24-year-old has been one of the standout drivers of the 2023 season, standing on the podium at seven different Grands Prix as he guided McLaren to fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship, despite arriving at the season opener in Bahrain with the slowest car in the field.
Norris has been constantly tipped as an option for Red Bull when Perez’s contract expires at the end of next season, but the Bristol-born driver remains contracted to McLaren until the end of 2025 and has so far shown total commitment to the team that gave him his big break in F1.
Red Bull’s interest in Lando Norris is no secret and Horner addressed the links between him and the reigning constructor champions earlier this season. “Lando’s a great driver,” he told Sky Sports F1. “He’s a big talent, big personality and of course he’s one of those drivers that you keep an eye on.”
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Helmut Marko went even further with his praise of Norris too, telling Kleine Zeitung: “He has a contract with McLaren until 2025, but he is by far the strongest of the young drivers. His youthful nature would also suit him best to Red Bull, and it’s no secret that Max and he are good friends.”
However, the 24-year-old is unlikely to happily slot into a number two role at Red Bull in a similar way that recent representatives Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Perez all have. When asked about the idea of bringing in either Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso to partner Verstappen, Horner made it clear that he doesn’t see that kind of dynamic working.
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Discussing the idea with Martin Brundle back in October, Horner explained: “If you put two extreme alphas in a team it’ll tear the team apart. So you always want to achieve I think the right balance. That’s one of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned.”
According to Horner’s comments ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi, there was contact from Hamilton’s entourage regarding a potential switch for 2024, although both the Red Bull team principal and Verstappen dismissed the viability of the partnership.
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