Verstappen and Norris together at Red Bull? 'We talk about it'

According to Ralf Schumacher, Lando Norris is the ideal candidate to succeed Sergio Perez at Red Bull Racing: the Brit is not only fast, he is also very good friends with Max Verstappen. The two-time world champion himself can well imagine driving in the same team as Norris at some point.

It is by now a familiar mechanism. If Perez has a poor race while Verstappen wins, then there is speculation about the Mexican's position at Red Bull. Internally at Red Bull, possible candidates to succeed Perez in the event of his departure are not exactly lining up in big numbers. Externally, though, there is one frequently mentioned candidate. Lando Norris is seen as a good option to drive for the Austrian team. The problem is that Norris is under contract with McLaren until the end of 2025.

Norris still under contract at McLaren for a long time

Still: "We talk about it," Verstappen said at Zandvoort during an interview with Sky Sports. "But he's contracted to McLaren for a long time. We'll see what happens in the future." When Verstappen was asked who he would most like as a teammate - if it were possible - the Dutchman was mostly nostalgic. "For me personally, dream team, if I could choose and could bring people back, it would be with my dad," the reigning champion told.

Speaking to the Italian broadcaster, Max Verstappen then reiterated how Jos' wise lessons had prepared him perfect for Formula 1. Verstappen senior had learnt from his own career and did not let his son make the same mistakes. "So he prepared me in a very professional way, I think from a very young age, to be ready for all certain kind of scenarios."