“Like Lambs to the Slaughter”: Lando Norris Put in Line for the Red Bull Slaughterhouse as Sergio Perez Fallout Could Open Up New Doors

Winning both championships for the first time since 2013, Red Bull had a phenomenal 2022 season. However, the penultimate race in Brazil exposed how fragile the relationship between their two drivers was. Urging Red Bull to curb the damage, F1 pundits suggest they bring in Lando Norris to replace Sergio Perez.

In a show of absolute dominance, Red Bull accrued 17 wins in a season of 22 fixtures. 15 of those wins came at the hands of Max Verstappen. The Dutchman had won the drivers’ championship, with 4 races still to go. Moreover, he helped his team to seal the constructors’ championship with three races to spare. However, when it came to helping his teammate in securing the runner-up position in the drivers’ standings by giving up a place at Interlagos, he refused.

Can Red Bull get Lando Norris to jump ship?

Despite a season full of struggles for McLaren, Lando Norris showed superior driving capabilities. The Briton consistently finished in points position and even got a podium finish in Italy. Therefore, it did not come as a surprise when the former F1 driver, Karun Chandhok, suggested Red Bull make a move for Norris.

On Sky Sports’ 2022 season review show, Chandhok said, “I think they [Red Bull] should be going hard to try and buy Lando Norris.”

Host Simon Lazenby agreed with him, but pointed out Lando was still in the middle of a long-term contract with McLaren. He told, “He’s got a contract at McLaren until the end of 2025. I wonder if he thinks that’s too long.”

Presenter Natalie Pinkham, however, suggested against it, citing Red Bull’s experiences with Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly. “But the problem is doing that, as we have seen with Gasly and Albon. It’s like lambs to the slaughter,” Natalie explained. “It’s very difficult to be Max Verstappen’s teammate. If you bring a rookie in too soon, it could crush their careers.”

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In his 4 year F1 career, Norris has only been with McLaren. Despite a disappointing season, he has remained hopeful for the future.

Norris shows faith in team McLaren

Speaking after the conclusion of the season with Sky Sports, Norris lauded his team for being honest with him. He also believed they will pull through after a disappointing 2022 season.

Lando told, “It’s just faith, it’s just honesty – that’s the main thing I need. I’m not a guy who likes BS or likes people trying to make me happy. I like people just being honest.”

“I have faith in McLaren, I have faith in the guys I work with, the whole team. Time will tell. You can never be 100 percent certain where you’re going to be, but you can have a good shot at it.”

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Ever since then, the Woking-based team has seen a huge shake-up. Team principal Andreas Seidl jumped ship to take the position of CEO at Alfa Romeo. It will be interesting to see how much his faith has shaken since the move.