Lando Norris had the chance to join Max Verstappen at Red Bull before committing to McLaren, the racer has revealed.
Norris signed a new deal with his current team earlier this year. It means the 22-year-old will remain with the Woking-based outfit until at least the end of the 2025 season, making his future in Formula 1 more secure than most others on the grid.
One of the only drivers whose own deal runs for longer is Verstappen, who is committed to Red Bull until 2028. But instead of being regarded as potential future title rivals, they may well have been team-mates had Norris decided against signing that new deal with McLaren.
"Of course there are talks with other people from time to time," he told Auto Motor und Sport when asked about his options. "You always ask yourself the question: What is the best thing for my career? I want to win and win world championships.
"There have been talks with Red Bull. They are a team that has been in the top three for years. But that just shows even more how much confidence I have in McLaren. Although there were talks, I felt McLaren was better for me to achieve my goals."
While Red Bull have run away with both championships this year, McLaren's season has been one of inconsistency. They are embroiled in a tight race for fourth place against Alpine, comfortably ahead of the teams in the bottom half of the standings but a long way off the big three.
And for all his impressive performances and strong results, Norris is yet to taste victory in F1. He came close at the Russian Grand Prix last year, but made the wrong choice when rain swept over the track towards the end of the race and surrendered the lead in the process.
Despite McLaren being quite far off the top teams in terms of performance and results, Norris remains confident that will not be the case for too much longer. He believes that, as he approaches the end of his new deal, the team will be in a position to give him the chance to fight for race wins and world titles that he craves.
"I’m super happy and comfortable. I enjoy it at McLaren," the Brit added. "I enjoy working with the guys. I believe in them. If I didn't, I wouldn't have signed a long-term contract. My head is looking ahead. My ideas are long-term. We have to keep working continuously. In 2024 and 2025, I will then have my best chance with McLaren."
