Lando Norris entered the Championship picture for the first time in 2024, and his target was reigning three-time title winner Max Verstappen. With a fast McLaren car on the track, he had some feisty moments with Verstappen, igniting what many felt was a heated rivalry. Verstappen, however, has insisted that things were blown out of proportion, with exaggerated narratives all over social media.
Verstappen recently addressed what unfolded between himself and Norris, emphasizing that their rivalry was purely professional and confined only to the racetrack.
“People always make it really like a lot worse on social media,” the 27-year-old said on the Talking Bulls podcast. “There are a lot of idiots on that platform, they always have something to say, something to complain about.”
Verstappen certainly felt that the number of people misinterpreting his relationship with Norris far exceeded the true number of ‘smart’ people on social media. He assured the F1 community that his relationship with Norris remained friendly. “But Lando and I, we get on very well.”
However, the skirmishes he had with Norris cannot be overlooked either. Verstappen insisted that there was no hostility off the track, but the 2024 Austrian GP comes to mind, where Norris went so far as to say he would lose all respect for the Dutchman.
Is Norris over what happened in Austria?
In Spielberg, while tussling for the win, Norris and Verstappen came together resulting in a crash. Verstappen was surprisingly calm about it, but Norris, who was forced to retire from the Grand Prix, was livid, insisting that their friendship could be affected.
“It depends what he says. If he says he did nothing wrong, then I lose a lot of respect for that,” Norris said to Sky Sports after the incident.
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Amazing scenes!
Norris and Verstappen make contact at Turn 3
Both drivers have punctures after clashing… and George Russell has taken the lead!!! #F1 #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/0GtTwPXd6N
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 30, 2024
However, the McLaren driver made those comments in the heat of the moment, and signs later suggested that the relationship between the two was improving.
At the FIA Prize-Giving Gala, Norris retracted some of his earlier criticism of Verstappen, including dismissive remarks that Verstappen’s success at the Sao Paulo GP was “all luck, no talent.” This retraction hinted that any lingering tension had dissipated as the season concluded, with the reigning champion retaining his driver’s crown.
