Friends and competitors
Max Verstappen’s fourth title will also be remembered for his battle with his friend Lando Norris, who was soundly defeated despite driving a far more competitive car for much of the season. On-track clashes between Max and Lando were frequent, and there were moments when their personal relationship came under strain.
In the end, their friendship appeared to endure the pressures, as evidenced by the warm embrace they shared in the mixed zone after the Las Vegas race, where Max Verstappen officially secured the championship. Max Verstappen reflected on his relationship with Lando Norris in a detailed interview with Formula 1’s official channel, F1 TV.
An invitation to Red Bull
During the interview, the four-time Formula 1 world champion driver reiterated the mutual respect he shares with McLaren’s #4, revealing that he had tried to persuade Lando Norris to join him as a teammate at Red Bull in the past. While Red Bull’s interest in replacing Sergio Perez with Lando Norris has been known, this is the first time Max Verstappen admitted to having played an “active” role in the effort.
“I’ve spent a lot of time with Lando, even in the past, when I was already winning, and he wasn’t,” Max Verstappen shared. “I always told him his time would come. I’d say, ‘Stick with it; you’ve got a good environment in your team.’ I even invited him to be my teammate back then. I said, ‘If you want to win, you can come here too.’ I’m happy for him. He’s had a great season. Maybe not everything went perfectly this year, but that’s part of the journey. You make mistakes, and you learn from them.” – the Dutchman confirmed.
“We’re friends,” Max Verstappen confirmed. “Not best friends—I don’t call him every day. We each have our own best friends. But we’re friends. I have a lot of respect for him.”
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