Red Bull's Attempt to Sign Lando Norris Exposed Before McLaren Debut

Red Bull, the dominant force in Formula 1, attempted to sign Lando Norris, the current closest challenger to Max Verstappen for the world championship, before he made his debut with McLaren in 2019. According to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, the team had a contract ready for Norris to join their sister team, AlphaTauri, but McLaren put a stop to the cooperation. Norris, who was just 19 at the time, ultimately joined McLaren and went on to win his first Formula 1 grand prix in May this year, with a second victory following in the Netherlands in August.

Key Takeaways:

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko revealed the team attempted to sign Lando Norris before his debut with McLaren in 2019.
Norris was 19 years old when he began his rookie season with McLaren in 2019 and picked up 49 points that year.
Norris' first podium finish came in 2020, and he won his first Formula 1 grand prix in May this year, with a second victory following in the Netherlands in August.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown insisted in January that Norris was not for sale, and the driver recently agreed a new multi-year deal with the team.
Norris stated that he had shut down discussions with other teams, including Red Bull, and had no intention of leaving McLaren.
The team's current challenge comes with McLaren and Norris sitting just eight points adrift of Red Bull and Verstappen with eight races remaining in the constructors' championship.

Statistics:

Lando Norris was 19 years old when he began his rookie season with McLaren in 2019.
Norris picked up 49 points in his first season with McLaren in 2019.
Norris' first podium finish came in 2020.
Norris won his first Formula 1 grand prix in May this year.
McLaren and Norris sit just eight points adrift of Red Bull and Verstappen with eight races remaining in the constructors' championship.

Sources:

Inside Line podcast via RacingNews365
Sky Sports
Team principal Zak Brown