Lando Norris rumored to have inked a pre-contract with Ferrari

Lando Norris with Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc (Credits: Sky Sports F1)

Rumors are swirling within the Formula 1 paddock as speculation mounts over the future of McLaren driver Lando Norris. While talks of potential moves to Red Bull have surfaced, F1 journalist Joe Saward has added fuel to the fire. In his blog “Green Notebook,” he suggested that Norris may already have a pre-contract with Ferrari.

Regarding Lando Norris’s potential moves, Saward wrote that “Whether such moves make sense for either man is open to question, but there are some who believe that Lando may already have some kind of pre-contract with Ferrari.”

Saward doubts the logic behind such a career path, given Ferrari’s current position in the championship standings. Ferrari finds themselves in a challenging position as they struggle to keep up with the fight for second place, currently trailing behind Mercedes and Aston Martin and in a lowly fourth place.

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Meanwhile, the Ferrari driver lineup itself is not immune to rumours. Carlos Sainz, currently piloting for the Italian team, is rumoured to be eyeing a future move to the newly announced Audi F1 team set to join the grid in 2025. Also, Charles Leclerc, whose contract with Ferrari expires in 2024, might “go mad if he stays where he is at” and may consider leaving the team if their downward spiral persists.

Discover: George Russell predicts that McLaren could trouble Mercedes and the teams ahead for the rest of 2023

Joe Saward casts doubts on Sergio Perez’s future at Red Bull

Red Bull driver, Sergio Perez (Credits: Insider)

The F1 journalist also addresses the uncertainties surrounding Sergio Perez‘s future at Red Bull Racing. Saward points out, “The big question mark in the immediate future remains Sergio Perez, who has been having a horrible time of late as Max Verstappen’s teammate.” Red Bull’s dominant position in the championship this season may cushion them from the underperformance of a second driver.

However, the Austrian team must keep an eye on potential rivals closing the gap next year, necessitating the need for a reliable and point-scoring contender. And he thinks “this is probably why Daniel Ricciardo is being given a chance to show his paces with Scuderia AlphaTauri for the rest of the year.”

Sergio Perez says "he couldn't care less" about speculation regarding his future at Red Bull, amid a run of disappointing results in #F1.https://t.co/Z261RxkD6o
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) July 12, 2023

Saward raises an intriguing point regarding Norris and Leclerc’s possible reluctance to join Red Bull. Attempting to challenge Max Verstappen‘s supremacy within the team is seen by Saward as a perilous career path, akin to descending into the depths of career purgatory.

It is no wonder that both drivers might be cautious in considering such an opportunity. It remains what will come out of such rumours, as for now every team is trying to end Red Bull’s supreme winning streak of triumphing at all races this season.