Lando Norris on team radio: “Verstappen is dangerous.” And it recalls Lewis Hamilton in 2021. Max Verstappen’s behavior in the Mexican GP did not sit well with Lando Norris.

Lando Norris disapproves

Max Verstappen’s behavior in the Mexican Grand Prix at the 4.304-kilometre Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City did not sit well with Lando Norris. After the race, the McLaren driver criticized the excessive aggression of his friend and rival, calling the three-time F1 world champion’s approach a “dirty race.” In the heat of the battle, the British driver’s reaction was even angrier.

After incidents in turns 4 and 8, which earned Max Verstappen a 20-second penalty, Lando Norris vented over the radio to his pit wall, criticizing his opponent’s driving: “This guy is dangerous. I had to avoid a collision. It’s the same thing as last time,” he said in real-time. These words bring back memories of 2021, when Verstappen was battling Lewis Hamilton for the championship.

When the battle was with Lewis Hamilton

In the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that year — a race in which Max Verstappen exceeded the limits of the regulations, incurring 15 seconds of penalties — the seven-time Formula 1 world champion made similar comments over the radio. “This guy is a f***ing madman,” Lewis Hamilton said during one of the most intense moments of the battle, later adding that Max Verstappen’s driving was “dangerous.”

Now, tensions seem to be reaching similar levels, as evidenced by Red Bull’s defensive strategy, with Christian Horner attempting to deflect the accusations aimed at his driver by pointing the finger at Norris. With four GPs left in the 2024 Formula 1 championship, the atmosphere is likely to heat up even more.