Helmut Marko admits Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are still on Red Bull's radar
McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri remain on Red Bull's shortlist, Helmut Marko has confirmed.
Helmut Marko has openly admitted that Red Bull retain an interest in signing Lando Norris, but stressed he is “not an option in the short-term”.
Red Bull’s desire to secure Norris’ services is not new, with the Briton, who is under contract with McLaren until at least the end of 2026, regularly linked to the Milton Keynes outfit in recent years.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner previously revealed that the team have held talks with Norris “a couple of times” in the past. He was even approached to make his F1 debut for the then-Toro Rosso team in 2018.
Norris has since signed multiple contract extensions with McLaren in what has been viewed as an attempt to ward off interest from rival teams.
Red Bull see Norris as a possible future teammate for Max Verstappen. The pair get along well and have already discussed the possibility of being teammates one day.
Verstappen’s current teammate, Sergio Perez, is out of contract at the end of the year and his future is yet to be decided.
Speaking to ServusTV, Marko said Norris is “certainly in our focus”.
“His father always jokes that Lando won’t celebrate his first Grand Prix victory until Max [Verstappen] retires,” he added.
“I told him that he had to come to us, then it would definitely go faster.”
Oscar Piastri, Norris’ McLaren teammate, is also a potential option for Red Bull in the future.
“Norris has at least a contract until 2026, so he is not an option in the short term, nor is Oscar Piastri,” Marko said.
“But both drivers are certainly interesting for us in the future.”
Norris and Piastri are seen as two of the highest-rated young prospects on the F1 grid.
Norris is yet to win a grand prix but has racked up 15 podiums in 109 races, the latest of which came at the Chinese Grand Prix, where he finished second to Verstappen and prevented Red Bull scoring a 1-2.
Norris and Piastri sit fifth and sixth in the 2024 F1 drivers’ championship respectfully.
Red Bull will surely continue to monitor both Norris and Piastri's performances and progress in the coming years as they weigh up a possible move in the future.
