Ferrari ‘eye Lando Norris’ as Sainz replacement with Red Bull waiting in wings
Ferrari are keeping a close eye on Lando Norris ahead of the expiry of his contract at the end of the 2025 season. The 24-year-old’s availability could be having an impact on Carlos Sainz’s contract talks, as per a report from Italy.
The Scuderia are currently entering contract negotiations with their drivers as they look to avoid getting dragged into the 2024 silly season chaos. Both Sainz and team-mate Charles Leclerc’s current deals are set to expire at the end of next year, and both are hoping for multi-year renewals.
According to a report from Gazzetta Dello Sport, Ferrari and Sainz are still some way apart in their negotiations. The Spanish driver is hoping for a minimum of a two-year contract renewal which would keep him with the Prancing Horse until the end of the 2026 season.
However, Ferrari would prefer a one-year extension that would see their commitment to Sainz come to an end in time to assess Norris’ availability at the end of his current McLaren contract. The report states that the Italian constructor is looking at the 24-year-old with intrigue as they hope to poach one of the sport’s most in-demand drivers.
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Despite this interest, getting a deal done for Norris will be far from easy. Red Bull’s interest in the Bristol-born driver is public with both Christian Horner and Helmut Marko going on the record about their respect and admiration for his ability and consistent performances.
Speaking to Sky Sports earlier this year about the possibility of bringing Norris in after the expiration of Sergio Perez’s contract in 2024, Horner said: “Lando’s a great driver. He’s a big talent, big personality and of course, he’s one of those drivers that you keep an eye on.”
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2023 was a breakthrough year for Norris. McLaren started the campaign with the slowest car in the field, and he finished 17th or lower in four of the first seven Grands Prix, but from the Austrian GP onwards the 24-year-old began to claw the Woking-based team up the standings.
Norris ended the season with seven podium finishes to his name, and six of those came on the second step with McLaren’s poster boy often the closest challenger to runaway world champion Max Verstappen. The result of this was a sixth-place finish in the Drivers’ Championship, while his team pipped Aston Martin to fourth in the Constructors’ too.
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