Red Bull F1 News: Helmut Marko abandons Lando Norris ‘contract’

Senior Advisor to Red Bull Helmut Marko revealed that the energy drinks giant has a contract ready for the British Formula 1 star Lando Norris joins his junior team.

Speaking on the Inside Line F1 podcast, Marko revealed previously unknown details, suggesting the deal’s failure was a major missed opportunity for both parties.

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The revelation comes as a bombshell, especially given Norris’ rise to prominence as one of F1’s brightest talents.

The British driver, currently with McLaren and the fight against Red Bull star Max Verstappen for the F1 World Drivers’ Championship, was a key figure in the new generation of the sport.

Red Bull’s aggressive pursuit of young talent is well known, with the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo and Verstappen himself all coming through the team’s junior ranks.

However, an unforeseen contractual complication brought negotiations with Norris to an abrupt end, leaving Red Bull looking to McLaren to secure the young British driver instead.

“We had serious discussions and we had a contract ready for Lando Norris for AlphaTauri, or Toro Rosso at the time,” Marko explained, referring to the team now renamed VISA Cash App RB.

“Unfortunately, they discovered that we had two contracts and that one of them contained a clause that terminated this cooperation.”

Marko also revealed that Red Bull have already opened talks with double world champion Fernando Alonso, with the aim of signing the Spaniard ahead of the team’s rise to prominence.

“Before we started winning, I don’t know exactly what year, maybe it was 2008, we talked to (Fernando) Alonso,” Marko shared.

“He didn’t take us seriously, I guess, and so yeah, it didn’t happen.”

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