[PapaofGags]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mclar...45/?nrt=54

McLaren suspects Lando Norris would have been picked up by Red Bull’s junior team Toro Rosso had it not promoted him to a Formula 1 race seat in 2019.

Norris will make his grand prix debut when he partners Carlos Sainz Jr at McLaren next season.
He was linked with Toro Rosso earlier in the year but McLaren was not keen to relinquish its protege and Red Bull did not want to sign another team’s driver on loan.

McLaren F1 team CEO Zak Brown said: “We knew he would've been snapped up by another team.
“But we were ultimately always on a kind of ‘around the summer break’ timeline, so we weren't pressured by that, or didn't make any decision driven by that.
“We were fully aware that if he wasn't going to drive for us next year, he'd be driving for someone else.”

Asked if that was Toro Rosso, Brown said: “I assume it would be Toro Rosso.
“I think based on the phonecalls I got, more than one team was interested in him.”