McLaren F1 chief Zak Brown 'very confident' over Lando Norris to Red Bull outcome

Norris en Pérez in gesprek in de paddock in Bakoe — Photo: © LAT Images

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F1 chief 'very confident' over Norris to Red Bull outcome

Norris has been widely tipped to be a major target for F1 rivals Red Bull

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Thursday 18 January 2024 09:12

McLaren chief Zak Brown has addressed rumours of Red Bull's interest in signing Lando Norris, insisting that the F1 star is incredibly happy where he is.

Off the back of a superb 2023 for Norris, coupled with a difficult season for Sergio Perez, the rumour mill went into overdrive that the constructors' champions had their sights set on the 24-year-old.

Adding the fact that Norris is also very close with Max Verstappen, the stars seemed to be aligning for a possible move on the grid.

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Yet Brown has now poured cold water over the idea of Norris jumping ship, as he admitted that the McLaren star is an integral part of the team, with no interest in seeking out pastures new at Red Bull.

Lando Norris (L) enjoyed a superb season with McLaren in 2023

The 24-year-old has been hotly tipped for a move to Red Bull to join Max Verstappen (L)

A move that would see Sergio Perez (R) give way if it were to happen

Will Lando Norris join Red Bull?

“I have a belief, that whether its employees, drivers, sponsors – that’s our job to take care of them and for them to want to be at McLaren," Brown told the media regarding Red Bull's reported interest in Norris.

“So, I tend to focus on making sure that McLaren is the best place environment and people want to be with us. Because you ultimately can’t control external approaches to those various people.

Norris (L) alongside McLaren CEO Zak Brown (R)

“So, no, I’m very confident [about] the relationship that we have with Lando. I know he’s very excited for this year and was very impressed with what he saw in the second half of last year.

“He loves working with Andrea [Stella] and everyone on the team. So, all we need to keep doing is giving him the environment he wants to be in.

“And then I’m confident he’ll stick around, as opposed to trying to kind of sell against the competition. That’s never been my way.”

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri