Lando Norris has been told by ex-Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert to avoid moving to Red Bull and instead stick with McLaren, as going to the Milton Keynes-based side is an unnecessary “risk”.
Norris has been linked to Red Bull for some time now and has previously held talk with the leading outfit.
The British driver reportedly spoke to Red Bull before signing his long-term deal with McLaren, which doesn’t expire until the end of 2025.
Despite signing a long-term deal with McLaren instead of joining Red Bull previously, the young driver is viewed as a strong candidate for a future seat at the Austrians.
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Theoretically, he could move to Red Bull in 2026, although this is when the new power unit regulations will be introduced.
Given that Red Bull are set to supply their own ever engines in 2026, there is a lot of risk about joining them when the new regs are introduced.
There is also no guarantee that they’ll still have the strongest package, with there being every chance that the pecking order could completely change.
Mercedes are proof of this, as they went from having the strongest car from 2014 to 2021, before slipping to third in the pecking order in 2022.
What could sway Norris towards joining Red Bull potentially in 2026 is that he’d like to be team-mates with Max Verstappen, something which will only be able to happen at the Austrians given that the Dutchman’s contract doesn’t expire until the end of 2028.
Herbert just thinks McLaren is a much better place for Norris to be, especially as the Woking-based outfit “love having him in the team”.
The British side are also on the rise and are viewed by many as possible title contenders in 2024.
“If we do it just from a driver’s perspective, you’re always going to try and work out what’s going to benefit you,” Herbert told Express Sport.
“Is the risk of him going to Red Bull worth it in the situation that he finds himself?” Herbert asked. “McLaren is doing really, really well. McLaren love having him in the team. He delivers – when the car is working properly.
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“Personally I don’t think [going to Red Bull] is worth the risk. I don’t see why he’d want to make his life that little bit more difficult when he’s actually in a very good position at the moment.
“We’re going to have to wait and see, obviously,” he continued. “He’s still young, he’s still going to get better, he’s still going to improve.
“At the moment McLaren are on a very good trajectory to get themselves maybe in a stronger position for next year.”