Christian Horner addresses suggestions of a possible Lando Norris-Max Verstappen partnership at Red Bull in the future

Christian Horner believes that Lando Norris might not be available for to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull. Speaking to media including Sportskeeda ahead of the 2023 Italian GP, Horner felt that despite Norris' talent, there are many contenders for the seat alongside the Dutchman.

In the drivers' press conference, Sportskeeda asked Norris whether he fancied pairing up with Max Verstappen in the future. The Dutchman had claimed that the duo often spoke of it candidly.

Answering the question, the Briton hailed the double champion as one of the greatest talents in the sport. He said he would like the opportunity if it were to crop up in the future.

When Horner was asked in the press conference if the dream pairing was a possibility, he said:

“Look, Lando is a great driver, there's no doubt about that, and you can see his potential is growing. But he's a McLaren driver. You have to respect the agreements that are in place. But he's one of a few drivers at the moment that… He's doing a great job in the sport and of course we have our drivers confirmed for ’24.

"In ’25, we have one seat open and as you can imagine, there's not a shortage of interest in that seat, but it's a long way away at the moment.”

Lando Norris has been one of Max Verstappen’s closest friends on and off the track. The duo share a healthy camaraderie which was reflected in their banter in a press conference.

However, when it comes to the second seat in Red Bull, Sergio Perez is contracted with the team until the end of the 2024 season.

The British driver is paired alongside Oscar Piastri at McLaren until the end of 2025. If Red Bull were to change their lineup, they will have to do it before the 2025 season. Horner believes the second seat at Red Bull has been an interesting prospect for many drivers.

One of the likely contenders for the seat is Daniel Ricciardo, who is being speculated to pair alongside the Dutchman by 2025. According to this speculation, it won’t be a surprise if the Australian was swapped with Perez as early as 2024.

Horner did confirm in the press conference that the Mexican driver is not under threat at the moment, and Helmut Marko has hinted likewise.

Max Verstappen has shared a healthy camaraderie with his ex-teammate and welcomed him back into the Red Bull camp with warmth. The AlphaTauri driver is one of the few who matched the Dutchman in the same car.

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Christian Horner hails Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton as all-time greats of the sport

Following Lando Norris’ praise for Max Verstappen as he answered Sportskeeda, Horner was asked where he rated the Dutchman among the all-time greats. The Red Bull CEO hailed the double world champion’s achievements and ranked him as one of the best in the sport. He also acknowledged Lewis Hamilton as one of the best in the sport.

“Well, I never worked with Fangio or Jackie Stewart, but maybe I should have put Stewart before Fangio, if Sir Jackie was here! But what Max Verstappen is achieving is quite phenomenal. He is an exceptional talent.

"What he's managed to do in the last few years has been quite remarkable and with the amount of victories he has, the records that he's been breaking, if he wins, hopefully, and defends his driver’s title this year, then he joins some very illustrious names in the sport.”

He added:

“Now it’s always very difficult to judge against those and we're fortunate that one of the most successful drivers of all time is still competing, and as we've just heard, extending their tenure in Formula 1. It's always difficult to compare generations but you have to start to include him in the bracket of some of the greatest that this sport has seen.”

With Hamilton’s achievements being the greatest of all time, his greatness cannot be doubted. With a long career ahead of Max Verstappen, there is a possibility he could break the British champion’s records or match his achievements.

However, at the moment, he remains one of the top three on the grid, ready to grab his third consecutive title in a dominant RB19. His recent feat of equalling Sebastian Vettel with nine consecutive victories has confirmed him as one of the best talents in the sport.