MARKO: “NORRIS HAD A CONTRACT READY TO RACE FOR TORO ROSSO”

Helmut Marko revealed that in the past, they held serious negotiations to bring Lando Norris to their junior team, Toro Rosso.

Red Bull Racing is currently one of the biggest names in motorsport, which means they can cast a very wide net in scouting the world’s top young talents. Helmut Marko is the man overseeing the entire project, and his opinions have been crucial in shaping the destinies of many young drivers over the last two decades.

Marko spent his recent summer break analyzing potential new drivers for Red Bull’s Junior Team, hoping that names like Isack Hadjar and Arvid Lindblad will turn into future F1 world champions.

However, Marko shared in an Inside Line Podcast that he came very close to signing an exceptional talent, but couldn’t get it over the line.

Max Verstappen has three world championships and is regarded as the standout talent of his generation. Although Red Bull isn’t currently at the front of the grid, his lead in the Drivers’ Championship still makes him the favorite for a fourth title.

The most likely name to stop him at this stage is McLaren’s star, Lando Norris. But according to Marko, things could have been very different, as he revealed that he had a contract ready for Norris to sign with Red Bull’s second team.

If the British driver had chosen to join Red Bull’s academy, the course of Formula 1 history could have been altered, and this year’s championship fight might have been far more thrilling had they been in the same car.

When asked about the drivers Red Bull had missed over the years, Marko said: “We had serious talks and had a contract ready for Lando Norris to join AlphaTauri, or Toro Rosso as it was called back then.”

“But unfortunately, there were two contracts, and there was a clause in one that prevented us from getting Lando Norris.”

“But as I said, we are proud of our two world champions.”

Norris is two years younger than Verstappen, and could have slotted well into the Toro Rosso team following Verstappen’s promotion. Instead, the team recalled Daniil Kvyat to fill the gap at one point, while names like Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon struggled when called up to Red Bull.

Lando Norris is still trying to prove he is a future F1 world champion.

Norris is extremely talented, and after more than 100 races in the sport, he has finally added two Grand Prix victories to his resume this season.

The primary reason for this long wait was McLaren’s inability to challenge Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari in recent years, but now they have the fastest car on the grid.

Unfortunately, having a young and bright teammate like Oscar Piastri makes life difficult for Norris. The Australian driver has taken many points away from Norris recently, and his move to pass him in the Italian Grand Prix shows just how little he cares about Norris’ championship ambitions.

McLaren might have to deal with this sooner or later, but Marko will be hoping McLaren continues to allow them to race for the foreseeable future.