Since then Norris and McLaren have decreased the gap between themselves and Red Bull in the championship, with just eight points separating them in constructors' standings.
As McLaren now look the strongest car on the grid, Red Bull appear to be floundering as they struggle to work out the issues with the RB20.
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris could have been F1 team-matesThe Dutchman was forced to was Norris win his home Grand Prix
Has Lando Norris been linked to Red Bull?
Norris was once tipped to move to Red Bull and race alongside Max Verstappen, however since McLaren's surge in performance the 24-year-old appears more committed to the team than ever.
Speaking on the Inside Line F1 podcast, Red Bull chief Helmut Marko disclosed that the team had been close to signing Norris during his early career, but missed out due to a contract complication.
“We had serious discussions and we had a contract ready for Lando Norris for Alpha Tauri, or Toro Rosso at that time,” Marko explained, referencing the team now rebranded as VISA Cash App RB.
"Unfortunately, they found out [we had] two contracts and then one had a clause which stopped this cooperation.”
Red Bull’s aggressive pursuit of young talent is well-known, with the likes of Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo, and Verstappen himself all coming through the team’s junior ranks.
However, the unforeseen contractual complication put an abrupt end to the talks with Norris, leaving Red Bull to watch as McLaren secured the young British driver instead.
Alonso also had an opportunity to join the Red Bull ranks
Marko also revealed that Red Bull had previously engaged in talks with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, in an effort to sign the Spaniard before the team’s rise to dominance.
“Before we started winning, I’m not exactly sure which year, it might have been 2008 or so, we had been talking to [Fernando] Alonso,” Marko shared.
"He didn’t take us seriously, I guess, and so yeah, it didn’t happen.”
While Red Bull has found extraordinary success with its current roster, these comments shed light on how different the team’s history could have been with stars like Alonso or Norris in the fold.
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