Red Bull is likely to replace Sergio Perez with Lando Norris if the Mexican keeps “whining” and “squealing”, according to Dutch journalist Jack Plooij. This comes right after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when Perez was visibly unhappy with his teammate snatching the fastest lap.
As per Marca, Plooij believes that the former Racing Point driver needs to put his whining and squealing aside to stay on the team. He said this in the latest broadcast of the Race Cafe podcast.
Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and Lando Norris react to an action-packed Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, that saw Red Bull pick up a one-two in Imola 🎤 pic.twitter.com/oakqSudm6l
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) April 24, 2022
After last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix clash, the relationship between Verstappen and Perez turned sour. Even though the team and drivers say otherwise, things look the opposite very much.
It was further evident in the recently concluded Jeddah Corniche Circuit race. When the Mexican driver was asked on the radio to keep his time delta positive, he asked if his teammate was doing the same.
Furthermore, when the Pilot asked about the fastest lap on the radio, he went for it despite knowing that the team wasn’t concerned about it back then. This shows the rising hostility between the two Red Bull drivers.
Will Lando Norris come to Red Bull?
For now, the answer is no. It’s because both Perez and Norris have contracts with their team until they are prematurely ended, similar to Daniel Ricciardo’s situation. But Robert Doornbos believes the team will try to sign him.
The Mexican has a contract with the Austrian team till 2024, whereas the Briton’s contract with McLaren runs even longer. Furthermore, Red Bull is currently happy with having the 33-year-old on the team as the Dutchman’s teammate.
Lando Norris and Christian Horner
Pictured 25th February, 2023 in Sakhir, Bahrain 📷 pic.twitter.com/KHBlg4jGs7
— AG⁴ (@formulaAG4) February 25, 2023
Admittedly, team principal Christian Horner has earlier revealed that the team held talks with the 23-year-old driver. This was done before the contract extension of Perez last year. However, the team changed its mind after the 33-year-old won the race in Monaco.
Will there be any benefits to having Norris on the team?
For now, two prominent benefits of having the McLaren driver on the team appear to be. Firstly, Norris is young and fast. He is just 23 years old and has ample F1 experience at this age. With the Red Bull challenger, he will be a perfect fit to continue the dominance.
Secondly, having a British driver will help bring in ample media and fan support for the team. Given that their base is in Milton Keynes, this will certainly help.
