Chandhok: Red Bull 'should be going hard' to sign Norris

Ex-F1 driver and Sky Sports F1 consultant Karun Chandhok believes Red Bull should pull out the stops and "go hard" to try and secure the services of McLaren's Lando Norris.

Norris has yet to win his maiden Grand Prix but with each passing season, the young Briton's stock continues to soar.

The highly rated 23-year-old is contracted to McLaren until the end of 2025, and while it seems improbable for the young gun's contract to be bought out before it expires, there are no guarantees that Norris will remain with the Woking-based outfit in the longer term.

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Both Red Bull team boss Christian Horner and motorsport chief Helmut Marko have praised Norris in the past, with the former revealing earlier this year the full extent of his team's interest in the Briton.

"We’ve talked to Lando a couple of times over the years, but every time we’ve had a conversation, he’s signed a contract with McLaren the next day," Horner admitted.

"He’s on a long-term contract with McLaren and it looks like he’s going to be there a few more years."

Earlier this year, Max Verstappen signed a bumper deal with Red Bull that will keep the Dutchman at the team until the end of 2028, while his teammate Sergio Perez is theoretically contracted through 2024.

But Chandhok, discussing the future of Red Bull's line-up and of Perez in particular during Sky Sports F1 recent season review, insists the bulls should devise a plan to attract Norris to Milton Keynes, and perhaps even make McLaren an offer it can't refuse.

"I think they should be going hard to try and buy Lando Norris," said the former F1 driver.

As for Norris, the Briton has put his full faith behind McLaren, but should the team fall short of the Briton's expectations in the next three years, the chances are high that he'll be seeking greener pastures elsewhere.

"I have faith in McLaren, I have faith in the guys I work with, the whole team," he said.

"But time will tell. You can never be a hundred percent certain where you are going to be, but you can have a good shot at it."

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