F1 driver Lando Norris speaks out over CONTROVERSIAL Max Verstappen rivalry

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris at the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Superstars

Norris speaks out over CONTROVERSIAL Verstappen rivalry

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen were involved in a championship battle in 2024

By Sam Cook.

Saturday 4 January 2025 01:00

Lando Norris has spoken frankly about his at-times controversial title battle with Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen.

The British driver broke out as a legitimate championship contender for the first time last year, pushing Verstappen harder than any driver managed in 2023.

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A 10-race winless run for Verstappen in the middle part of the season allowed Norris to start catching up to his rival, eventually falling short despite McLaren's clear pace advantage over Red Bull for large parts of the season.

Ultimately, Verstappen managed to claim nine race victories, obliterating his rivals in the drivers' standings once more despite his team's struggles, finishing ahead of nearest challenger Norris by 63 points.

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris were involved in a fierce championship battle in 2024

Norris' fiery Verstappen rivalry

June's Austrian Grand Prix saw the pair collide, ultimately favouring Verstappen as he extended his lead at the top of the standings, while the Mexican GP saw Verstappen handed two 10-second time penalties for two separate incidents involving Norris.

The young Brit labelled Verstappen's driving as 'dangerous' on that day in Mexico, but congratulated his rival once he had finally wrapped up the championship title at the Las Vegas GP.

Now, Norris has made an honest admission about his rivalry with the four-time champion, and has suggested that he has gained confidence to give it another good go in 2025.

"Of course. I fancied it already this year, but it was just a little too late," Norris told media in Abu Dhabi.

"I definitely have had things to improve on and to look back on and try [to] correct and to improve. Nevertheless, I think the thing I’ve learned and I’ve gained the most this year is confidence in myself.

"Sounds very simple, [but] I’ve just always been quite the opposite kind of guy, and I always find [that] I need to go out to prove it to myself before I want to start believing anything. This year, yeah I made some mistakes and I didn’t give a good enough fight to Max, but it was a good effort, and the one thing I’ve learned from [it is that] I have what it takes."

Red Bull Max Verstappen Formula 1 McLaren Lando Norris