F1 News: Helmut Marko Snubs Lando Norris For Red Bull Seat

A Verstappen-Norris pair would be good for entertainment but not for the team.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has commented on the possibility of McLaren driver Lando Norris being a part of the Red Bull team in the future. He explained that if Max Verstappen and Lando Norris were to be teammates, it would be great for entertainment since they're fast and they share a very good relationship. 

Norris would be a good option for the media, the fans, and everybody else in the future but for Red Bull, it could create a few internal issues while creating a 'hierarchy structure.' Placements have to be defined on the basis of a clear speed difference between the first and the second drivers to avoid an internal conflict within the team.

Currently, the points and pace difference between Verstappen and Sergio Perez is so vast that it helps the teams form a hierarchy with ease. But with Norris on board, things might turn out to be different. This is something that Marko feels after taking into account his outstanding performance with the Woking outfit. Maybe, he is hinting at the fact that Norris could be as fast, or nearly as fast as Verstappen if he got into one of Red Bull's RB19s. Marko revealed to Motorsport-Magazin.com:

“Having Verstappen and Norris on the same team would be perfect for fans, as well as for television and all journalists.

"Of course, for the success of the team, we want to win the World Cup and the best thing for this is to have a clear hierarchy. You have to be clear, I don’t want to say the first driver, but know who is the fastest driver.”

In addition, Marko rules out the addition of Colton Herta as an AlphaTauri pilot in the short and long term, given the fact he is past well past 23 years of age and the fact that he has no prior experience in Formula 1 or other promotional categories. 

Coming back to the Norris- Red Bull Saga, is Marko saying that the McLaren driver is a much better and faster replacement for Sergio Perez? However, considering Red Bull's security with Max Verstappen, the team would set some pretty clear and strict conditions, if they have discussions with Norris in the future.