Ex F1 driver is not surprised Norris didn't want to go to Red Bull

Lando Norris had extended his multi-year contract at McLaren before the 'silly season' began. F1 analyst Jolyon Palmer writes in his column for Formula1.com that this was an interesting choice, and he explains why.

Lando Norris has been driving at McLaren since 2019 and the Briton plans to continue doing so in the coming years. Exactly how long his contract runs remains unclear, but he will continue to drive at the British racing stable at least until after 2025.

F1 analyst Jolyon Palmer calls this an interesting choice given the activity in the driver market at the moment. "With seats open at both Red Bull and Mercedes, time will tell if that is the smart move, but with the way that McLaren are improving right now, there aren’t many better places to be in the short term,'' the analyst writes.

Palmer is not surprised by Norris' choice to stay at McLaren. "As tempting as a Red Bull seat would be, the way that Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Sergio Perez have been annihilated by Verstappen would make anyone think twice about joining a team so galvanised around a superstar driver,'' Palmer said.