Red Bull has emerged as by far the best team in the current season as they have won all the races of the 2023 campaign so far. Max Verstappen has won 11 of them, including the last nine in a row. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull has won the other two. Since Red Bull have been so dominant, Will Buxton has advised Lando Norris to join them if given another chance. While speaking on the most recent episode of the DRS: De Race Show, the British presenter explained how Norris would only need to suffer for two seasons alongside Verstappen before he could receive the opportunity of a lifetime. Buxton made these remarks as Verstappen has repeatedly raised doubts about his future in F1.
In his previous interviews, Verstappen has often mentioned how he is perhaps not living a “good life” because of the efforts it takes to maintain his level at the top. Moreover, he also believes that since he has won two titles already, he does not have much more to achieve. As a result, Buxton believes that if Norris were to join Red Bull, then the Briton could become the number one driver of the team once Verstappen presumably retires in a few years.
📰: Max Verstappen considers racing alongside Lando Norris at Red Bull, but it seems unlikely. Norris is on a long-term deal with McLaren until 2025, and while he’s open to it, he prefers it to be Verstappen’s move. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko hasn’t ruled out the idea, but… pic.twitter.com/j3H3baW3Cb
— F1 Naija 🇳🇬 (@f1_naija) September 1, 2023
Furthermore, it is pertinent to note that the Milton Keynes outfit have also reached out to Norris before to secure his services. However, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner revealed in an interview with motorsport.com that the 23-year-old turned down the offer on that occasion because of his loyalty to McLaren.
Will Buxton explains why Lando Norris should join Red Bull
While recently speaking on the most recent episode of the DRS: De Race Show, Will Buxton explained how no driver has come close to challenging Max Verstappen. The British expert believes that the 25-year-old has the capability of not only winning all the races of the remainder of this season, but also carrying forward a similar level of domination to the next season.
Since Verstappen has opened up a whopping 138-point lead over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez in the championship this year, Buxton was asked if he believes he could see Lando Norris stepping up to the Dutchman in the same team. While the 42-year-old raised doubts about Norris’ ability to challenge Verstappen, he did express surprise about the McLaren driver turning down a move to Red Bull.
“Can you believe he (Norris) turned down a Red Bull move,” said a surprised Buxton. “Can you believe he signed for McLaren again?” The 42-year-old stated that if Red Bull approach Norris again, then the British driver should take up the offer, knowing that he may only be the number two driver on the team for another two seasons.
While Buxton has expressed surprise to see Norris turning down Red Bull’s offer, former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan has “begged” the Briton to stay at McLaren. Jordan explained why staying at McLaren would be better for Norris at this stage considering the staggering improvement that the Woking-based outfit have shown recently.
Jordan has a contrasting view to Buxton about McLaren’s future prospects
While Will Buxton has no doubts that a move to Red Bull would be more beneficial to Lando Norris than staying at McLaren, Eddie Jordan seems to have a contrasting opinion. While speaking on the last episode of the Formula for Success podcast, Jordan told David Coulthard, “Please, Lando, my wish to you is to stay where you are. You’re not going to find much better“.
The 75-year-old believes that since the Woking-based outfit are now moving in the right direction, they are not far from winning races. It is this reason why the Irish businessman believes that McLaren is Norris’ best option at the moment if he is to fight for wins and possibly also the championship in the future.
