“His Season Has Been Easy”: Lando Norris Presents Offbeat Challenge to F1 Leader Max Verstappen

F1 is a sport where rivalries can sour friendships. Just ask Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. The duo grew up racing together, but their 2016 rivalry arguably ended their prolonged friendship. Now, we have Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, who are possibly the closest friends on the paddock.

However, it seems that they share a different dynamic than Lewis and Nico, as Norris recently praised the Red Bull driver. However, he did it while taking a slight dig at Verstappen.

Safe to say, Lando Norris has a bright future in Formula 1. The talented Briton is one of the most exciting young prospects on the grid. In an interview with Sky Sports, Lando Norris opens up about Max Verstappen and how “easy” his season has been for him.

Norris said, “Quite easy, he’s done a pretty good job. His season has been easy, yeah, he should maybe have a go back in our car and see what it’s like”

Norris jokingly challenged Max Verstappen to achieve the same dominance in a McLaren. Red Bull and Max have swept the floor with their competition this season.

Norris further continued, “He’s done amazing, very impressive of course. Similar to Lewis in previous years. When you’ve got the car that can deliver and can win races, he’s the one taking his opportunities.”

READ MORE: “If It Were Lando or George, It’d Be the Same…”: Max Verstappen Downplays Hyped Up 2021 Battle With Lewis Hamilton

Norris, still searching for his first win in F1, and so far, he has had an underwhelming campaign with McLaren. Moreover, all the drama regarding Daniel Ricciardo‘s exit hasn’t helped his cause either.

Lando Norris already feels like the McLaren team leader

The arrival of Oscar Piastri means that Lando Norris for the first time will be the senior driver in his team in terms of experience. The Briton will be in his 5th season in Formula 1 next year. He’s been groomed by McLaren, who gave him his debut in 2019.

When asked about leading the team forward in 2023, Norris said to RacingNews365.com, “I feel like I’m already in that position now.” 

“I wouldn’t say anyone in the team now [would say that] Daniel leads me and helps me do those sorts of things. I already feel like everything I say has a lot of weight, [which] they take seriously and listen to, especially being in the position of extracting bit more potential out of the car over the last few years.”

“That’s always something that’s going to help so. I’m ready. I’ve been with the team for five years or six years now [and 2022 is] my fourth year of racing with them.”

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With the season quickly approaching its end, McLaren and Norris will be hoping for one last push as they look to overtake Alpine in the constructor’s championship. The Woking-based team currently trails the Enstone-based outfit by 18 points in the championship. Can Norris help his team climb the standings?