Lando Norris reveals Red Bull talks before signing McLaren deal

Norris signed an extension with McLaren until 2025 in February but did hold talks with Christian Horner’s team

Lando Norris has revealed he held talks with Red Bull prior to signing a new long-term contract with McLaren in February.

The 22-year-old, who made his F1 debut for McLaren back in 2019, penned a new four-year deal until the end of the 2025 season before the 2022 campaign started.

McLaren have struggled to match the speed of Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes this season though, yet Norris is the best of the rest and currently positioned seventh in the Driver Standings.

But before the weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix, Norris divulged that he had indeed spoken to Christian Horner’s team before signing his extension, as well as “a few other people.”

“It’s more just I was coming to the end of my contract, and it wasn’t like we (Red Bull and I) were talking heavily,” Norris said.

“I literally said, it was just, everyone always tries to speak to all teams at some point, so I spoke to them, I spoke to a few other people. A chat’s a chat, it’s not like, ‘what we can do straight away?’ Just keeping in touch, things like that, it’s as simple as that sometimes.

“It was just coming to the end of the contract, you see what options are available, you just kind of find out what’s possible, what might be possible over the next few years.

“It wasn’t just Red Bull. Every driver has chats with a lot of the different teams on what could happen, and it’s as simple as that basically.”

Lando Norris has revealed he held talks with Red Bull prior to signing a new long-term deal with McLaren (Getty Images)

Red Bull’s double world champion Max Verstappen signed a new £40m-a-year contract earlier this year until 2028, while Sergio Perez also penned a new deal until the end of the 2024 campaign.

Despite a difficult 2022 with McLaren - with race wins out of reach - Norris is satisfied with the security his long-term deal gives him.

“I’ve always been happy with McLaren, as much as I could be happier, I’ve always been happy,” Norris added.

“Before I’ve ever spoken to anyone else, my talks have always been with McLaren first, that’s always how it goes.

“As much as sometimes you might like what could happen, the best thing for me is signing the contract that I have now, just having that confidence that you’re going to be in F1, and the knowledge that you’re going to be in F1 for three, four, five years.

“For me that’s like the best feeling, just because it makes you more relaxed, more comfortable in the environment that you’re in.”