Lando Norris has outlined his approach against Max Verstappen for this season after losing the 2024 Formula One title.
According to Motorsport Week, McLaren became a strong contender last year after Norris beat Red Bull star Verstappen mid-season to win his first F1 race at the Miami Grand Prix.
However, despite struggling to cope with the RB20’s inherent gremlins, the Dutch-Belgian racing driver became successful in winning the fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship with two races left. He easily dominates the early season by winning seven out of the first ten races.
Norris and Verstappen had some tough yet thrilling battles on the track, but the 27-year-old's consistency made him the winner once again.
Lando Norris praises Verstappen despite intense clashes
Although Norris has a strong car and start this season, he is still expecting a tough fight from Verstappen despite his struggles to pull results out of an ailing RB21.
The 25-year-old told BBC, “When you’re racing for wins and championships against the best in the world, you can never expect things to be easy. You learn in go-karting that you can’t at all easily overtake around the outside. That is like rule number one. But it can be done, and it will be done.”
He said that the number one goal for a racer is always to finish, but sometimes, despite trying too hard and being right, things go wrong, so you have to take a safer approach.
Talking about Verstappen, the Briton added, “I’ve said it many times, I have a lot of respect for Max. The driver he is, the person he is, and what he stands for all of the time. And what he’s achieved, his four World Championships. That’s four more than me, and he’s had a lot more race wins than me. I admire those stats, those performances.”
“Everyone does what they believe is right. And they race for themselves. Some may be more aggressive than others. But everyone has flaws. I have them. Maybe he has them. I race in the aggressive way I believe is correct, and he does the same. The stewards are the ones who decide what is right and wrong,” he added.
Notably, McLaren is currently ruling the table with Oscar Piastri on top with 186 points and Norris behind him with 176 points. Meanwhile, Verstappen is in third position with 137 points.
