Max Verstappen and Lando Norris have a good relationship and are often seen in and out of the paddock together. They share jokes, play video games, and even run the same online sim racing competition on Twitch. They’re also known for their playful banter and pranks on each other. But when asked whether they are friends, Norris tries to make a spicy headline by saying “We’re not friends”. The McLaren driver said this during an interview with Viaplay.
Norris and Verstappen have grown up in a similar generation, driving and competing against each other in the junior circuit. Lately, they have gotten used to hanging out with each other. Both drivers were seen having dinner together in Monaco before the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix.
However, Lando Norris, jokingly suggested that what he has with Max Verstappen cannot really be termed as friendship.
Lando Norris: Max and I are friends
In the interview with Viaplay, Lando Norris’ response to a question about whether he thought he was friends with Max Verstappen took everyone by surprise. He begins by asking how to define the word friendship, pointing out that there is no one-size-fits-all answer.
The interviewer then stated that friendship is, spending time together and like each other. However, The Briton concludes by saying that if these are the values of friendship, then he and Verstappen are not friends.
“We are not friends then. It’s a headline now. Max and I not friends.” Lando Norris stated.
However, later Norris agreed with the interviewer that both drivers are friends. This suggests that they friends indeed, even though it is not traditional in the sense that they do not spend a lot of time together outside of racing. But Red Bull might ruin it if they succeed in getting what they want.
Norris and Verstappen might not remain friends
Red Bull are rumored to be interested in signing Norris as Verstappen’s teammate in the future, should Sergio Perez leave the team. Norris is widely regarded as one of the grid’s best drivers and despite not winning race yet, is termed as championship winning material.
Consequentially, that could mean Norris competing with his good friend for the world championship. And as Max himself admits, Norris is good enough to win the championship in a good car. Unfortunately, that could ruin their all-too-common friendship in F1.
A case in point is Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, who were childhood friends but became fierce rivals fighting for the title at Mercedes.
