McLaren issue firm 10-word response to Red Bull as Lando Norris rumours persist

Jamie Woodhouse 17 Jan 2024 5:00 PM

Lando Norris, McLaren, with arms folded.

Should Red Bull at any stage decide they were to turn interest in Lando Norris into an attempt to sign him, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has warned “there’s no number we’d be interested in trading him for.”

Norris has become an integral member of the McLaren team since graduating from their academy to their driver line-up in 2019, establishing himself as one of the brightest stars on the Formula 1 grid, and a driver who many believe could challenge for World Championship honours in a capable car.

That is the level of machinery which McLaren is attempting to provide and took a major step towards in an impressive 2023 campaign, though the team that has had F1’s title scene on lockdown is keeping a close eye on Norris’ situation.

McLaren issue Lando Norris hands-off warning to Red Bull

Norris is under contract with McLaren until the end of 2025, but with the potential of a Red Bull seat opening up for the start of that season, or perhaps even before, Norris has regularly been talked about as a top contender, Red Bull not shying away from confirming that he is part of their considerations.

Both Norris and Red Bull’s three-time World Champion Max Verstappen have also commented on the speculation and are very open to the idea of being future team-mates.

But, Brown stressed targeting Norris would be pointless as he is priceless to the team.

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

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Of course, McLaren do need to continue making progress, or Norris could leave them powerless to stop his exit if he looks elsewhere for 2026 and beyond.

However, Brown remains very calm on the situation, expressing confidence that team and driver remain “all-in” on bringing title-winning days back at McLaren.

“We do have a little bit more runway with both [Norris and Oscar Piastri], but certainly, he’s [Norris] hot property, if you like,” said Brown. “So, we’d like to lock him down sooner rather than later.

“I think he’s very much enjoying his time at McLaren – the dream is to win races and a World Championship together and I think Lando’s all-in for achieving that with us.”

Norris’ highly-rated team-mate Piastri, who is preparing for his second F1 season, is under McLaren contract until the end of 2026.