One of F1’s most promising drivers Lando Norris lately snubbed the idea of moving to Red Bull Racing. The Austrian team had massive interest in the British driver and their performances in recent years were enough to lure any driver to Milton-Keynes. However, Norris never looked at them, and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly reveals why.
During Alpine’s 2024 car launch, journalists of Sky Sports asked Gasly about Norris’ decision to not move to Red Bull. Gasly, who raced with Verstappen at Red Bull in 2019, said, “I respect that. I think he’s trying to build McLaren team around him.”
He added, “He’s been there for a long time. I think he’s probably seen the potential that they’ve unlocked over the last few years. They were pretty competitive last year, managed to get couple of podiums and it’s probably his best shot to compete against Red Bull and Max, so kind of makes sense and it will be interesting to follow that as well.”
Going to Red Bull and competing against Verstappen as one’s teammate is extremely tough. Over the years, Daniel Ricciardo, Gasly, Alex Albon, and Sergio Perez faced it. Therefore, Gasly is speaking from his experience when he says that Red Bull will prioritize Verstappen.
Hence, Norris’ decision to stay with the Papayas where he is the more experienced driver makes sense to the Alpine star.
Is Max Verstappen unbeatable for Lando Norris?
A huge part of the F1 community feels that Red Bull crafts their challenger perfectly to meet Max Verstappen’s needs. The Dutchman has sectors to improve for the team and Horner and Co. recognize them to bring out a car that performs smoothly when the Dutchman drives.
This makes it difficult, in fact almost impossible for drivers to beat Verstappen, even if they are driving the same car. The 26-year-old has been the leader of his team for over six years now, which makes it tough for anyone else to establish authority of any kind.
There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. Proud to say I’m staying with @McLarenF1, let’s carry on what we started pic.twitter.com/Y5SRQva0g0
— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) January 26, 2024
Notably, the FIA is all set to bring in new regulations in 2026. It could lead to the fall of Red Bull and Verstappen, giving way for newer teams (maybe even McLaren) to rise to the top.
Keeping that in mind, Norris would have had just one dominant year (2025) had he moved to Red Bull. In the grand scheme of things, with the progress McLaren is making, he has better chances of winning a title. But if McLaren falter down the line, he could leave.
