Norris mocked Perez with McLaren star now top candidate for his Red Bull place

05 December 2023 , 09:23

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Lando Norris has aimed a sly dig at Sergio Perez

McLaren star Lando Norris has claimed Sergio Perez - the man he could replace at Red Bull - "crashes into a lot people" after their clash in the season finale.

The duo went wheel-to-wheel for fourth place on lap 47 of the race in Abu Dhabi and came together at Turn 6 while Perez was attempting to overtake. Norris went on to finish fifth with Perez coming home in fourth to seal second place in the championship behind team-mate Max Verstappen.

Perez has consistently been blown away by the Dutchman however and, given the dominance of his car, more was expected. As a result there has been speculation regarding his future with Norris thought to be the number one target for Red Bull should they look elsewhere.

That hasn't stopped the Brit from speaking his mind however after clashing with the Mexican at the Yas Marina Circuit. Norris took aim at Perez's driving style as he suggested the Mexican often makes contact with other drivers in the field.

Norris told Viaplay: “I was expecting it to be honest. It was nothing new. He crashes into a lot people so not something new for anyone to know. But I did give him a lot of space. And so it didn't change my race in the end of the day. So it was a tough day. We just didn't have the pace we wanted.

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“We struggled a little bit just, one-tenth a lap. One and a half tenths lap was all I needed to maybe catch the cars ahead, but we didn't have it. I'm still happy we as a team beat Aston Martin, that was our target and we achieved it.”

Lando Norris could move to Red Bull to become Max Verstappen's team-mate (Jakub Porzycki/Getty Images)

Norris has just produced his best season to date, finishing on the podium numerous times. He's yet to take the top step however after five years in the sport despite some near misses. A move to Red Bull would certainly aid his chances of finally taking the chequered flag.

Alex Albon is among those to race for Red Bull in the past and he's suggested that Norris has an open invite to join the team if he wanted a fresh challenge away from McLaren.

"I think if he wants it, yes. But let's see, because I think no one enjoys to be Max's team-mate," Albon told Sky Sports. "It's hard - I have experience with that. But if he's confident in himself, which he should be - from what I hear, the invitation has been open for a while. It's hard to say now, because just like I have with Williams, you can tell the relationship Lando has with McLaren is very strong, and for now it looks like there's no reason to change."

Samuel Meade