Lando Norris and Max Verstappen are locked in an intense title fight as the season approaches its final three races, with Verstappen edging ahead of his McLaren rival. While the two share a close friendship off the track, their relationship appears to have grown tense amid their fierce competition for the championship. Norris recently shared his thoughts on the current state of his friendship with Verstappen.
During a discussion with Will Buxton on F1 TV’s Pre-Race Show in São Paulo, Norris was questioned about whether it’s possible to separate the individual off the track from the racer inside the car.
“I don’t know, I’m split. In some ways, you kind of think how someone can be personally and how you can get along with people can be so different to how you are on track,” Norris said.
“It’s such a different world there on the track to here doing this [in the paddock]. It’s my first time being in this situation, and time will tell how that changes. But for now, I still respect Max, I think he respects me, but maybe ask me again at the end of the year!” the McLaren driver added.
Verstappen faced criticism for his on-track tactics while racing side-by-side with Norris during the Mexican Grand Prix, with the Dutch driver being handed two 10-second time penalties for his actions against his title rival.
When asked if Verstappen’s recent tactics, which hadn’t been seen since his intense 2021 championship battle with Lewis Hamilton, indicated the high level he is performing at in his own fight with Verstappen, the Briton was quick to respond.
“It’s a compliment, that’s for sure,” said Norris. “But he’s doing what he believes is best, which is fair dos. It might not always be the right thing, but we always do what we believe is right and we always do what we believe is the best at that time. He’s doing what he has to try and keep me behind him in the championship because he’s under pressure, Red Bull’s under pressure, they’re not delivering.”
“We as a team have overtaken them, Ferrari have overtaken them. They’re doing their best, we’re doing our best, and the more pressure we can put them under the more of these kinds of mistakes they’ll probably do.”
Verstappen extended his lead over Lando Norris in the championship race following a stellar performance at the São Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil. Verstappen now holds a comfortable 61-point advantage over Norris.
A win in Las Vegas would secure the Dutchman’s title, creating a lead that cannot be overcome in the remaining two races, irrespective of Lando Norris’s finishing position. Along with his win, the 3-time world champion can secure the title if Norris falls short of earning three points in Las Vegas. Even if Verstappen scores nothing, Norris would need to finish 8th or 9th and set the fastest lap to keep his championship hopes alive.
In the constructor’s championship, McLaren leads Ferrari by 36 points, with 147 points still available in the final three races. Meanwhile, Red Bull has narrowed the gap to Ferrari in second place, now just 13 points behind.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
