Red Bull has reportedly “postponed” its search for Lando Norris until 2025 after Helmut Marko described the “luxury problem” they face.
Norris, 23, is one of the houses of Formula 1 and, although his teammate has signed a new contract ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, it is still unknown where the Briton will race in a few years.
His current contract with McLaren runs until the end of 2025, but there are reports developing that Red Bull could be investigating in a bid to secure his signature.
According to Blick journalist Roger Benoit, the Milton Keynes outfit have postponed any potential attempts through Norris until the 2025 season as they focus on their existing duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
Marko also said the team had a “luxury problem” with 4 seats and at least the drivers were competing to fill their seats.
“We almost have a luxury problem. Anyone who doesn’t race in our B team next season will be a reserve driver and simulator for four cars,” Marko said of the appeal of joining a team like Red Bull.
As for the severity of Red Bull’s interest, at least publicly, they remain on the sidelines.
Asked about the possible interest in the driver, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said: “Lando is a wonderful driver, there’s no doubt about that. We see that their prospects are growing. But he is a McLaren driver, you have to respect the agreements that exist. He’s doing a wonderful job in the game and of course our pilots are shown for 2024.
“In 2025, we have a seat available and, as you can imagine, that seat is not without interest, but it is still absent at the moment. “
And despite rumours to the contrary, Red Bull and Horner in particular have been confident that Perez will remain in his post at least until his contract expires next year.
“Checo’s choice for next year is clear,” Horner said. “He’s a Red Bull Racing driver.
“Regardless of the agreements, we are happy with the work he is doing. You saw his driving today, he didn’t have the speed limiter in the pit lane [which earned Perez a five-second penalty that dropped him from the podium to fourth place. “place].
“He is second in the world championship, he is the only driver after Max to have won a grand prix this year.
“It’s easy to blame him when the barometer is so high on the other side, but he will be our driving force in 2024. “
The classification of the 2023 Red Bull F1 World Championship
Top drivers sanctioned and on the 2023 F1 grid
As for Norris, staying with his “home” team is obviously a factor in his decision-making. Speaking to Sky Sports F1 in August, Norris reaffirmed his preference for “winning in papaya”.
“In the back of my mind, there’s this passionate game of, ‘Am I waiting a few more years or is it time to do something different?’Norris said.
“I need to win races with McLaren. I need to win in papaya, I need to win championships. I need to be successful and I need my resolutions with McLaren. That’s been my purpose since I’ve been here since I got into Formula 1. with this team.
McLaren is also firm in its position, with Zak Brown insisting Norris’ existing contract, which runs until the end of 2025, will expire.
As for what happens next, it remains an unanswered question, but after securing a long-term contract with one of its talents, McLaren hopes to convince Norris to do the same.
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