Amid RB’s Attempt to Poach Lando Norris, Zak Brown Turns the Tables With a Target on Max Verstappen

Lando Norris is bound to rank as one driver who genuinely went through a rollercoaster of emotions over the 12 races so far summing up his current F1 season. The British driver initially battled through an exhausting season with subconscious plans to leave the squad. Red Bull capitalized on this by attempting to entice the eight-time podium finisher. How? Through praising him and making use of the friendship bond between the British driver and the two-time champion Max Verstappen. And now, in an effort to reverse the situation by employing the same strategies, Zak Brown has his sights set on Max Verstappen.

Lando Norris’ alleged poaching by Red Bull has been discussed on more than one occasion, including this year. Red Bull considers Lando Norris to be the ideal complement to its mission to encourage talented youngsters who can expertly lead Red Bull to triumph. Also, after the Silverstone Grand Prix, for instance, Helmut Marko was discovered with Norris’ agent and commented, “ He is by far the strongest of the young drivers. His youthful nature would also suit him best to Red Bull. And it’s no secret that Max and he are good friends,” from Red Bull Taskmaster. It appears that Milton Keynes has tried every trick in the book to snag the 23-year-old.

Nevertheless, now that the storm has subsided, Zak Brown has taken an effort to turn the tables. Recently, the CEO of McLaren was seen praising Max Verstappen and asserting that he is solely responsible for closing the significant gap between Red Bull and the rest of the field. Brown remarked at ESPNF1 by contrasting how the grid will be tight if the Dutchman disappears from the RB and two Sergio Perez are placed in the RB19. “If they had two Sergios in the car, with all due respect, this Championship would kind of be wide open. “You’ve got something pretty special with Max and Red Bull.” 

READ MORE: “He Is by Far the Strongest”: After Giving Max Verstappen a Scare at Silverstone, Lando Norris Lands in RB Taskmaster’s Future Plans

Despite Red Bull’s best efforts to poach Lando Norris, it makes little difference who remains at the top of the Red Bull hierarchy. Likewise, the Taskmaster has provided an explanation for this.

Amidst the news of poaching Lando Norris Helmut Marko offers an analysis of the hierarchical setup in Red Bull

Lando Norris was tipped to be the best replacement for Sergio Perez as his contract is set to expire in 2024, but now that Norris has made it clear that he trusts McLaren, Red Bull Taskmaster has come up with an explanation of whether Norris could have survived in the predetermined Hierarchy at Red Bull. It is evident that Red Bull has consistently supported the team’s fastest driver, setting a good precedent to prevent any potential conflicts.

And in light of that Marko confessed openly and stated in the motorsport magazine and said, “That would certainly be ideal for the audience, television and journalists, but not for team leadership and success, we as a team want to win the World Championship. It’s better if you have a certain hierarchy where it’s clear who is – I don’t want to say number 1 driver, but who is clearly faster.”  

Marko continued by citing the example of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost to illustrate how, even with two competitive drivers on the team, the emphasis remained more on individual success than team advantage. Marko then stated, “In principle, we never have a stable order, but the entire team, atmosphere and competitiveness must not suffer. If you have two such stars, let’s take the past: Senna with Prost did not go well. They then only looked at themselves, the team was then in the background.”

WATCH THIS STORY: How Lando Norris Had a Chance to Go to Red Bull But Instead Chose McLaren

Do you anticipate Lando Norris would consider joining Milton Keynes after McLaren’s recent success?