Lando Norris has addressed the reports about Max Verstappen's camp initiating talks with McLaren for a 2027 ride. This year has been hard to digest for the four-time F1 champion, who wants to stay committed to Red Bull, but their subpar performance under the new regulations isn't helping.

Amid such a situation, rumors emerged during the Austrian GP weekend that Verstappen's camp had initiated preliminary talks with McLaren. Craig Slater of Sky Sports confirmed that rumor later.

Ahead of this weekend's British GP, Slater asked Lando Norris about what he felt regarding the news.

"To be honest, a lot of drivers want to come to McLaren," Norris replied during Thursday's FIA press conference. "I don’t know why you just highlight Max. There are quite a few others that I know that want to come as well. So no, I mean, it’s a cool thing. It’s a good thing that a four-time World Champion wants to come on board and wants to potentially join the team."

The reigning F1 champion, who beat Verstappen to his first title in 2025, highlighted that he's open to driving alongside anybody.

"I don’t know how much of it’s true, but it’s a cool thing. And if there’s an opportunity for me to drive with other people, it’s something I’ve always looked forward to. But it’s not a thing for now. It’s not a serious thing," Norris added.

The 26-year-old Briton, however, concluded by saying that he's happy with his current teammate, Oscar Piastri, and the focus remains on extending this partnership for the years to come.

But the real question is: Does McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown want Max Verstappen at the team?

Zak Brown firmly closes the door on Max Verstappen

Whenever Max Verstappen has been linked with a rival team, the team principal of the team has said that such moves cannot be ruled out, considering the stature of the four-time F1 champion. While Zak Brown holds the same stance, he firmly ruled out any such happening in the near future.

When asked about potentially having Verstappen on the team on Tuesday's episode of the "Heart" radio on YouTube, Brown said:

"Yeah, we're a hot team. It's a great place to be. We've got two awesome drivers in Lando and Oscar, so no intention of seeing any different lineup, but flattering when the phone rings often and he's a massive talent. So we'll see what the future holds or what he ends up doing. But I know what our plan is. Just keep going with what we got."

When further asked if he isn't entirely ruling out the option, Brown replied:

"I think anytime you're in sport, you gotta know what the market's doing, but we're not in the market. So we need to pay attention because you never know. But Lando and Oscar won 14 (races) for us last year, and I'm looking forward to the next 14."

Oscar Piastri is in the first year of his new multi-year contract that was signed in March 2025 and was effective from 2026. Meanwhile, Lando Norris is in his second year after signing a multi-year deal effective from 2025, while Max Verstappen is contracted with Red Bull until 2028.

However, the Dutchman reportedly has certain exit clauses in his contract that can allow him to exit Red Bull next year.

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Written by

Yash Kotak

Edited by

Yash Kotak