Max Verstappen might make a big move from Red Bull in 2026, with Aston Martin reportedly trying to sign him. If he does leave, Christian Horner will face a tough choice for picking a new driver to pair with the team.
Horner will want a top-notch driver to replace the three-time world champion. While Red Bull has promising young drivers like Liam Lawson, Isack Hadjar, and 16-year-old Arvid Lindblad, none of them are expected to be World Championship contenders by 2026.
Instead, Horner might look to Lando Norris. Norris has been very loyal to McLaren, the team that helped him rise through the junior ranks and into F1. However, if Verstappen leaves, Horner might be able to attract the British driver to Red Bull.
It’s well-known that Red Bull has a high regard for Norris. In the latest season of the Netflix show Drive to Survive, Horner mentioned, “We’d certainly be interested in him. If he’s delivering, he’s not gonna be short of choices. He’s just gotta sure he makes the right choice.”
Horner also said, “I admire Lando’s loyalty to McLaren, but, at some point, that will wear thin. I think he would fit in our environment longer-term.”
Helmut Marko has also shown his interest in Norris. He told ServusTV earlier this year, “He is young and certainly in our focus. His father always jokes that Lando won’t celebrate his first Grand Prix victory until Max retires. I told him that he had to come to us, then it would definitely go faster.”
If Red Bull manages to attract Norris from McLaren, they would probably pair him with a driver from their own team. Sergio Perez is unlikely to be that driver, as he might struggle to keep his seat in 2025, and even more so in 2026.
Daniel Ricciardo might face a similar situation if he doesn’t improve his performance in the last 10 races of 2024. This means that Yuki Tsunoda and Lawson are the most probable choices to move up to Red Bull in 2026.
