The sprint incident between Max Verstappen and George Russell left the fans, and the paddock divided. Both drivers had equal support from the fans, but their drama had unwavering backing from all the fans of the sport. But for Max, the biggest setback came not from any place but rather from his very close confidante, Lando Norris.

Lando of the Maxlando, a forever budding romance of the paddock, delivered a blow to his bromance partner when he picked George Russell in the battle with Max. After the use of slurs, warnings, and messages from both ends, the Briton seems to have a clear pick as he betrays his longtime mate from Red Bull. Before the main race on Sunday, Lando said during the presentation alongside Russell, “Im actually on your side George, so you’re good.”

This left the fans baffled, as Max and Lando have been close ever since they have been on the grid. The Dutchman even had the backing of the McLaren driver when he had to go head-to-head against Lewis Hamilton for the 2021 championship. Possibly, it was his old friendship with Russell that came into play, forcing Lando to back the Mercedes driver instead.

Lando Norris betrays Max Verstappen

The battle between Max Verstappen and George Russell off the track was equally feisty as the one on the track. So, having one pick was quite difficult. For Lando, however, choosing Russell was a no-brainer, as he left Verstappen stranded in the battle, not that the latter needed any help. All of this was pretty shocking for the fans, as it was something that no one had expected.

READ MORE: After Calling George Russell a “D*ckhead”, Max Verstappen Conveniently Changes His Tune to Give a Valuable F1 Lesson

The cheers from the Russell and Norris fans were pretty loud. Clearly, the friendship between the two from their beginner racing days is stronger than ever, even as both represent a similar style of racing.

On a lighter note, could the betrayal have come following Max’s refusal to play golf with Lando? Or was it the effect of the latter playing a few rounds on the grass with Lewis Hamilton a few weeks ago? We guess; we’ll never know.

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Lando has picked the favorite in the battle. Whom did you back in the entire episode? Drop it in the section below.