McLaren driver Lando Norris had a Red Bull sticker placed on his back by Max Verstappen, igniting fresh rumours that the 24-year-old could switch teams in the future. Fellow F1 driver Alex Albon said back in October that he believes Norris has an ‘open invitation’ to join Red Bull, although he warned him about being Verstappen’s teammate.
Norris congratulated Verstappen after his 2023 World Championship success, and the Dutchman put a Red Bull sticker on his back when acknowledging the cameras.
Verstappen embraced Norris after winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, as he was allowed to officially celebrate the title he secured two months ago when winning the Qatar GP. Norris has expressed his desire to win a World Championship one day, and both Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko have admitted to monitoring his position.
Red Bull completed a one-two finish in the Drivers Championship this season, but with Sergio Perez now 33, the team are already looking ahead to their long-term replacement. Norris is one of the most talented drivers on the scene, but is currently contracted with McLaren through 2025.
Don’t miss…
F1 LIVE: Lewis Hamilton denies swap rumours as Abu Dhabi track claims victim[LATEST]
F1 stars turn to 71-year-old ex-driver for help provided in £25k Ford Puma[LATEST]
Lewis Hamilton snubbed for Lando Norris as Mercedes star braced for more frus…[LATEST]
Norris signed his new contract with McLaren back in February 2022, but Albon said 18 months later that Red Bull could swoop in following the expiry of his current deal. “I think if he wants it (Red Bull), yes. But let’s see, because I think no one enjoys being Max’s teammate,” Albon told Sky Italy.
“It’s hard – I have experience with that. But if he’s confident in himself, which he should be – from what I hear, the invitation has been open for a while.” Norris remains loyal to McLaren while under contract, and said his dream is to one day win a World Championship with his current team.
“I’ve always said I want to win with McLaren,” Norris said via RacingNews365.com in October. “I think we’re getting closer and closer to achieving that. And not just to win races, but win championships, both Driver and Constructor.
- Support fearless journalism
- Read The Daily Express online, advert free
- Get super-fast page loading
“I want to do it with McLaren. I’m very happy there. So if I was to spend 10 or 15 years there I’m not going to ever say no. I think that’s something I would look forward to.” But after initially vowing to stay loyal with McLaren, Norris then hinted that come the end of his contract he could explore other options.
“I’m very much just concentrating on this year, next year and ’25,” Norris added. “I think that’s two-and-a-half years to try and progress and we’ll see then. But things [come up] every now and then but nothing more than that.”
Perez is under contract until the end of 2024, and it’s likely that his deal will not be renewed as Red Bull search for their next long-term star. Former Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo has made it clear he’d be open to a return, but is currently signed with Scuderia AlphaTauri.
Source: Read Full Article