McLaren is one of the very few sides who seem to have certainty about their driver line-ups for the future. With Lando Norris having signed a contract extension last year, McLaren now have both their drivers on long-term deals. However, things could all change as per the recent chatter in the paddock. F1 insider Lawrence Barretto suggests Red Bull could still sign Norris despite the Briton having extended his deal with the Woking-based outfit.
While speaking to Will Buxton ahead of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, Barretto said, “History suggests, of course, they are going to have a go at Lando. Why won’t they not have a go at Lando? They have been trying basically every single year. He has a contract with McLaren, but that has not stopped them (Red Bull) in the past“.
Norris is one of the frontrunners to get a seat at Red Bull after his stellar performances recently. The Briton grabbed seven of the nine podiums for McLaren last season.
Moreover, even this season, the 24-year-old has already clinched one podium (Australia) despite McLaren not having one of the quickest cars. If Red Bull does show an interest in Norris, it will most likely be Sergio Perez who will make way.
The Mexican underperformed in comparison to Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen by a huge margin last season. Although Perez managed to finish second in the championship, he only managed to score 285 points. In stark contrast, Verstappen finished the campaign with 575 points.
However, if Red Bull do decide to part ways with Perez, then Norris isn’t the only driver who is on their shortlist. Red will also evaluate the performances of current V-CARB drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda over the rest of the 2023 campaign.
Will Red Bull replace Sergio Perez?
Both Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda have made it abundantly clear that their goal is to clinch Sergio Perez’s seat at Red Bull. Since that seat at the Milton Keynes-based outfit is one of the most sought-after, there is no secret that both Ricciardo and Tsunoda will have to consistently deliver strong performances to convince the bosses to consider them.
Tsunoda seems to be on the right track at the moment. The Japanese driver has already scored six valuable points for V-CARB after his outstanding seventh-place finish in Melbourne.
However, when it comes to Ricciardo, his struggles continue. Not only has the Australian failed to score a point so far this season, but he has also massively underperformed when compared to Tsunoda. As a result, it seems unlikely that Red Bull will sign Ricciardo based on his current form.
While Tsunoda could most likely be Red Bull’s preferred pick between himself and Ricciardo, one cannot rule out the possibility of Sergio Perez retaining his seat. The Mexican has kickstarted the 2024 campaign in decent fashion, having clinched two second-place finishes after the first three races.
