Lando Norris has yet to speak with Max Verstappen about their on-track battle in Mexico City. The two drivers encountered each other multiple times on the track, and the Dutchman even received two time penalties for his actions against Norris. The McLaren driver still has a lot of respect for his friend, but hopes that Verstappen will learn from the entire controversy.
The battle between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen stole the show during the weekend in Mexico City, and even in the days following the incidents, it remains the topic of conversation. Lando Norris is once again asked about the confrontation with his rival in Brazil. The McLaren driver indicates that he is pleased with how the stewards handled the situation.
“One thing I’ve always done well in my career is to stay out of trouble and keep the car intact,” Norris tells the press in São Paulo. “I’ve always had the mentality that I want to win a race fairly. Sometimes I was even penalized for not driving aggressively enough. I hope we have a fair fight this weekend.”
‘Still respect for Max’
Verstappen and Norris were, at least until their heated title fight, good friends for many years. However, the two drivers have not sat down together since the Mexican Grand Prix. “We have nothing to say to each other,” Norris says.”I still have a lot of respect for Max Verstappen,” continues the three-time Grand Prix winner. “Of course, I don’t respect what he did last weekend, but I do respect him as a person and what he has achieved. But it’s not up to me to talk to him, I’m not his mentor or teacher. Max knows what he did wrong, deep down. And it’s up to him to change, not me.”
Ferrari as the Biggest Competitor
Ferrari, partly due to Verstappen’s disappointing race in Mexico, has now also surpassed Red Bull in the constructors’ championship. Norris, however, saw the rise of the Italians coming for quite some time. “Ferrari has been our biggest competitor for nine, ten races now,” says the McLaren driver. “We knew long ago that we would be fighting them and Red Bull towards the end of the year.”
According to Norris, the Austrian racing team, which currently ranks third in the standings, does have an advantage over both McLaren and Ferrari. “However, Red Bull has a bigger task to accomplish, and they can take bigger risks in the hope that it pays off. But I think we’re doing a good job staying out of trouble. We had some unfortunate weekends, like last weekend. So we need to do better, especially against Ferrari.”