P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has shared that Toro Rosso had a contract ready for Lando Norris to sign prior to him stepping up into F1.
Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko disclosed that they were very close to signing Lando Norris for AlphaTauri before he entered F1 with McLaren, where he was part of their junior program. Red Bull, known for its successful young driver academy, typically promotes drivers from within but has also considered talents outside their pool like Sergio Perez. Despite rumors, Norris has stayed loyal to McLaren and is now in a fierce drivers’ championship battle with Max Verstappen, his potential teammate if he had joined Red Bull. A clause in his McLaren contract prevented Norris from joining Red Bull earlier. Marko mentioned past failed pursuits of drivers like Fernando Alonso but emphasized pride in Red Bull’s world champions Vettel and Verstappen.
