More F1 2024 teases as McLaren make Lando Norris stance very clear – F1 news round-up

Sam Cooper 17 Jan 2024 10:00 PM

Lando Norris shakes hands with Zak Brown.

Zak Brown has no plans to let go of his drivers any time soon.

Alpine gave us a sneak peek at what their 2024 livery may look like while Zak Brown issued a firm “hands-off” warning for any potential Lando Norris suitors.

As more and more teams announce their launch date, the 2024 F1 season is seemingly getting very close to being upon us.

Haas became the latest team to mark a date in the diary but there was more news up and down the paddock.

Alpine tease bright new livery

While McLaren released their livery last night, Alpine have given us just a hint of what to expect when their car is released from the covers next month.

The image showed a pink front wing but that choice of colour is not wholly new for the French outfit.

McLaren issue Lando Norris warning to potential suitors

There is an argument to be made that besides from Max Verstappen, Lando Norris is the hottest property in Formula 1 with the Brit’s contract set to end in 2025.

And while McLaren work on extending that deal, Brown has said there is no amount of money that would see them let him go.

“He’s a great asset to the racing team,” Brown told Sky Sports F1. “There’s no number we’d be interested in trading him for.”

Zak Brown urges more focus on Red Bull/AlphaTauri relationship

Speaking of McLaren, Brown had another topic on his mind – the relationship between Red Bull and AlphaTauri.

Red Bull GmbH own both the team that shares their name and Italy-based AlphaTauri but Brown has questioned whether that should be legal.

“I believe it’s a serious issue for the fairness of the sport, for the fans,” he said. “That’s why it’s pretty much not allowed in any other form of major sport.

“I’d like to see us, as an industry, focus on that before it gets to a level of being where Formula 1 once was, which is very out of balance because people are playing by the rules, but a different set of rules.”

Christian Horner speaks of Red Bull Powertrains ‘trajectory

With reports Ferrari had their 2026 engine built and fired up, Christian Horner declined to give much detail when PlanetF1.com asked him about their own power unit division.

“We’re not going to go into detail yet of where we’re at, but we’re on a trajectory,” he said.

“But we’ve got a lot of ground to cover and a lot of ground to make up – we’re competing against manufacturers that have decades of experience.

“Red Bull, 30 months ago, this project was still embryonic. So what’s been achieved in 13 months has been outstanding.”

F1 not backing down over Las Vegas complaints

F1 took to the Las Vegas Strip for the first time last year but it was not completely smooth sailing.

Away from the loose drain cover that ruined the first day of running, Vegas locals also complained about the late start time to the sessions.

But F1 has continued in the same vein and the race start times for the F1 2024 season have been announced by the FIA, with the Las Vegas Grand Prix keeping its 10pm local time starting slot.

Lando Norris McLaren