McLaren F1 star Lando Norris warns Max Verstappen crashes EXPECTED

Max Verstappen in Hungary — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 star warns Verstappen crashes EXPECTED

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen are in a battle for the drivers' championship

Kevin McKenna

Tuesday 13 August 2024 08:27 Updated: 09:56

One of Formula 1's top stars has admitted he expects there to be many more crashes involving reigning world champion Max Verstappen.

The Dutchman is on course to win his fourth straight title in 2024, but has come under significant pressure this season from a number of his rivals.

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Despite holding a commanding 78-point lead at the top of the drivers' standings, Verstappen has been far from his dominant best.

After making a strong start to the campaign, the 26-year-old has now failed to win on each of his previous four outings.

Lando Norris has emerged as a surprise challenger to Max Verstappen this year

The pair came into contact in dramatic fashion at this season's Austrian Grand Prix

Norris fails to rule out future collisions

McLaren racer Lando Norris has emerged as the main challenger to Verstappen's throne after stringing together an impressive run of results.

The Brit has achieved seven podium finishes so far, and clinched his maiden F1 victory in Miami at the expense of his new rival.

However, there have been a number of missed opportunities for the 24-year-old to reflect on, including at the Belgian Grand Prix last time out, where he finished one place behind Verstappen despite starting the race six places ahead on the grid.

The pair have also been involved in a number of dramatic incidents in 2024, most notably in Austria, when a late collision between the two forced Norris to retire from the race when a victory was well within his grasp.

Norris hopes to add more wins to his collection following his triumph in Miami

Speaking to RacingNews365, Norris has admitted that he expects the duo to be going wheel-to-wheel for many years to come, adding that future crashes between the close friends are inevitable.

“I expect to crash more in the future with different people, with Max,” Norris said.

“Not because it's an expectation of I expect to crash with them - it's just those scenarios and circumstances always happen.

“With another five or 10 years in F1, you're going to have those situations at some point.”

Red Bull Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton McLaren Lando Norris Daniel Ricciardo