McLaren driver Lando Norris has been challenging Red Bull drivers again and again this season. Not many drivers or teams came close to matching the pace of Red Bull or Max Verstappen. However, Norris was only 3.7 seconds slower than Max Verstappen in the British Grand Prix. Moreover, the McLaren driver has gained multiple P2 finishes this season. The current double-time champion had said a few races ago that it was not surprising to see Norris do so well.
Max Verstappen is happy for Lando Norris that he got to drive a fast car after a long time. But the change happened only since McLaren copied the Red Bull’s car design. They replicated the RB19’s side pods. It really helped the MCL60 to gain a lot of speed. Meanwhile, for a long time, there has been a rumor floating around Lando Norris is moving to Red Bull. But recently, McLaren’s boss dismissed such assumptions.
Zak Brown Claims Lando Norris Is Not Going Anywhere Until 2025
Apparently, it is too late for McLaren this season to fight for the constructor’s title. They might try to win the title next season. However, Lando Norris can move to Red Bull next year or soon after, as per many rumors. Everybody knows Sergio Perez is in a difficult situation in the Red Bull team, and there are questions about replacement. Norris has a pretty good friendship with Max Verstappen. Hence, Norris is a viable option for the Austrian team to replace Checo. However, the dream transfer to Red Bull was broken after McLaren boss Zak Brown mentioned Lando Norris would stay with his team up till 2025. According to McLaren’s boss, there is no chance for an early switch of Norris to Red Bull.
The McLaren boss told Motorsport-Total that Norris will race for McLaren through 2025 for sure. But recently, in Monza, Lando Norris did not look uninterested in driving alongside Max Verstappen in the same team. Both Verstappen and Norris reside in Monte Carlo and spend spare time together frequently. Albeit, McLaren is no way near to compete against Red Bull for the current championship. The team placed second is Mercedes, and then comes Aston Martin and Ferrari. Currently, Red Bull is 285 points ahead of Mercedes. On the other hand, McLaren is 429 points behind the Austrian team.
Lando And Max Might Make Good Teammates
According to Lando Norris, he is open to the prospect of being teammates with Max in the future. He believes Verstappen is among the greats of the game. Moreover, Norris has known Max Verstappen since their go-karting days back in 2012-13. Adding to that, Lando believes Max Verstappen can perform well in any car, as per what Norris has seen Max do since the Karting days.
Hence, it is not just about a fast and good car, but Max is truly a great racer, feels Norris. Moreover, Norris believes it will be interesting to see where he stands after driving the same car with Max Verstappen. On top of that, Lando, in an interview, mentioned he had invited Max to McLaren a few days ago. Lando says, “Max is welcome to join McLaren.”