Verstappen is a nightmare on track for friend Norris and foe Hamilton
For those who still had doubts whether Max Verstappen would be as tough in a battle with his close friend, the answer came in Austin. Whether your name is Lewis Hamilton or Lando Norris, Max Verstappen will do everything he can to beat you. It doesn't matter how.
"I'm obviously not going to make it easy for him towards the end of the season," Verstappen uttered that one sentence after the race with a big smile on his face. It says everything about who Verstappen is. Deep down inside, he is a pure racer. From an early age, he was raised to win by his dad, Jos Verstappen. Anything other than winning is not enough.
Verstappen said with a smile that the attack on Norris at the first corner was already planned. Everyone already knew that attack was coming, except Norris. In fact, the latter left the door open like a true gentleman, which Verstappen gratefully took advantage of.
Does Verstappen race differently against Norris?
When the battle between Norris and Verstappen started to take serious shape, many suggested it would be different this time. They said Verstappen would race differently against Norris than Hamilton. Norris is a friend and generational colleague of Verstappen, and with three world titles under his belt, his aggressiveness and sheer will to win might be less.
In Austria, it became clear that this was not the case for Verstappen. Friend or not, you don't easily pass Verstappen on the track. Norris paid for that with a DNF in Austria, but he had not yet learned his lesson from that. In Austin, he let himself down again.
On the first lap, Verstappen showed how well he can attack. Give Verstappen a small gap, and he worms his way through. For Verstappen, the lead of the race was an afterthought anyway. It didn't really matter to him that Leclerc got through. The only goal was to get ahead of Norris after turn one. In that mission, Verstappen succeeded. He even got help from Sainz, who got in between the two.
In such an attack, Verstappen is no gentleman, and in the process, he behaves no differently in 2024 than in 2021. Just put this attack next to the one in Spain or Imola in 2021. They are identical actions, where Verstappen knows he won't get many chances to pass a rival and so will strike at the first opportunity.
Once on the inside of a rival, Verstappen will never leave much space for the driver on the outside. This is not universally appreciated, but why should he wait? You want to get in front and push your rival as far back as possible. Whether it's Hamilton or Norris, Verstappen doesn't care.
Will Norris go after Rosberg?
In defending, Verstappen is just as ruthless. Verstappen will never give the inside as a gift, so you will have to go all the way around. If you're on the outside, you have to ensure you can squeeze Max into the corner; otherwise, he will push you outside. Norris apparently hadn't learned that lesson yet.
After Austria, Verstappen showed how easily he can separate on-track action from off-track friendship. He chose to contact Norris after that race and start the conversation together. Verstappen also stated that friendship was important to him. However, nothing will change about his actions on track. After all, winning is in Max's DNA.
The big question is how long Norris can keep this up. From everything, it is clear that Norris wants to race in a 'proper' way. Like a gentleman, as the British like to see. That way, however, you will not win against a street fighter like Verstappen. Verstappen is a friendly person outside of the cockpit, but he is your worst nightmare on the track.
So far, Norris seems capable of dealing with it well. After the race, he put the blame on himself. After all, he had raced like a 'muppet' and defended poorly, whereas Verstappen had raced well in his opinion. Still, it seems like Norris will have to break away, just as the friendship between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton broke down. After all, it is hard to keep smiling while being beaten time and again by someone who is simply more talented than you. Rosberg eventually decided to change tactics in the search for success; the question is whether Norris is willing to do the same. In doing so, you put a friendship at risk but would bring a world title closer. Otherwise, you remain the eternal number two.
To be clear for everyone: don't befriend with persons that you might get into a conflict of interests with. Such as: co-workers, service providers, competitors, business partners, authorities. Why? The minute your interests will clash lots of persons will use any information they have about you to fight you. There are even people that during your so called "friendship" period will test you, discretely subjecting you to different situations to assess your reactions and know your limits. Some even playing mind games to get the upper hand on you. Instead keep it cordial, polite, helpful, avoid escalation but give away as little as possible about yourself. Lando is young. He needs to mature more to see these things and put some distance. You lean this stuff throughout life.
Every driver can be aggressive but in the end you have to bring the entire car at the finish…And in the future I m sure that Verstappen will find a similar driver ( aggressive) who will not be like Norris..
"Verstappen will find a similar driver ( aggressive) who will not be like Norris" HAM?
Piastri? No, not Piastri. He won't sacrifice his own race to help Lando
Just imagine Piastri with a best car and with the status of the no.1 driver in any team.....
Gotcha. I agree on that!!! I wouldn't talk about being nice or not. But I do think that Piastri is more "ready" for this kind of battles. My expectation is that he will make less mistakes and will learn faster how to fight Max.
How can oscar hlep lando whrn first of lando needs help hom self .look at this race lando went backwards at the start
That's the F1 paradox I would say. On one hand, MCL has the right to ask PIA for sacrifices. It's a team sports after all, and rightfully so. On the other hand, PIA can and will certainly not sacrifice himself to help NOR, and rightfully so. Should 2025 both NOR and PIA have a good start into the season, then I expect to see a similar situation like they had at MB 2014-2016. Bring it on ? Hopefully PIA will be up there from the beginning next year. Would make everything a bit spicy, not only with regard to the MCL situation. ✌️
What I m trying to say is that if Piastri will be in position to fight for the title next year he won t be so nice like Norris.. I m not talking about this year because this year it s Verstappen title…
Oh, because many McL fans are calling for Piastri's ultimate sacrifice in the next 5 races, if you know what I mean ...?Don't think Piastri will do that But I'm curious to see Piastri's skills against Max in a similar situation, maybe next year. He hasn't been tested yet in a proper battle against Max.
Why not ? After all in Silverstone 2021 Hamilton gave him an unforgettable lesson....Or there is the posibility that Max will be far behind those drivers if RBR won t deliver a best car...Like it happened in Baku..
I was referring to the fact that VER had already to face an "aggressive" driver and ended up beating him (HAM). If you call a "lesson" to almost kill someone, well, that tells a lot about your disgusting mindset ? And as a reminder, VER didn't have the best car. Through the entire season it was at most on par. It wasn't VER who needed a spicy engine to help him out. HAM still failed.
Let's just say 2025 will be intresting. I expect Ham, Alonso, Lec, to be in the mix they tend be that "driver" you speak off.
Personally don't see Alonso in the Mix next year. Definitely see LEC and possibly HAM in the front with MAX, LAN and PIA.
nah, Piastri, Ham, or Russell won't be easy touches like Lando, if any of them are in the mix of course, LeC not so much, hes been an easy touch in the past, Max will soon find out which ones won't take kindly to his bully-boy tactics.... sooner the better really
When lights go out you dont have freinds till after race done .
Yeah cos look what happened with Hamilton and Rosberg. They stayed friends eh? It's true that you can't have friends on the racetrack. But maybe be a little bit less of an unsporting bully with them. Friendships can break and I believe Max cares a lot less about that happening than Norris does. Maybe part of why he's too soft and needs to realise that he has to be out for himself on track and leave your friends behind as tough as that is. It's not a mixture that works when you're rivals.
It's a mixture that can work but takes two to tango, maybe why HAM and ROS didn't work because both of them didn't try and keep the friendship going. Possibly another thing between ROS and HAM is that they were not just in a rivalry but in the same team as well and that is just another layer of tension to the relationship.
Being in the same team will contribute further yes. It's one thing to put your friendship on hold and become rivals on track, but quite another when one driver will break the rules to screw his friend over. I've watch UFC/MMA for a long time. There you get friends who fight each other. They bump fists before the fight and then kick the living crap out of each other for 3 or 5 rounds. It can get brutal. After the final bell, they can be bleeding, with all sorts of open gash injuries etc. And as soon as the fight is over, they hug and talk about how much they respect the other one. Now... if one of those fighters employs dirty tactics, such as eye pokes, ground strikes etc. they're going to fall out over it. In Austin, and Austria, I would argue Max treated Lando the same way he did with Lewis in 2021. No respect. If they carry on being rivals in 2025, I don't see the friendship lasting and I don't see Max caring too much. I don't think Max has the empathy gene in or out of the car.
"I agree but should we be blaming a driver or the people behind the rules and regulations." Both. I blame Max for his consistent dirty driving and forcing drivers off track, but I also blame the inconsistent FIA for not penalising him and thus allowing him to repeat this behaviour unchecked.
"Yes but we're not seeing people treated the same. Russell and Tsunoda got penalties and Max didn't." True, I agree but should we be blaming a driver or the people behind the rules and regulations. It is strange Toto/Mercedes didn't try and protest their penalty though. "Yes for 2025, rules are changing. I would like to see the FIA bring something in for this season, because while it's possible for Norris to win still, Max will use all the tricks he did in 2021." Time for the teams and drivers to put pressure on them to make some changes or to make it more clear on what they expect. and 100% Max and any other driver will use whatever tactics they can as long as the FIA doesn't clamp down on things. "Ok well we disagree on 1 or 2 UFC fighters :) Let's leave that :)" Like I said, some are for skills and others for personalities, like O'Malley many don't like him but his skills (Striking) is really impressive but he's a clown outside the cage. "I REALLY hope Whittaker wins his fight." Most including me want to see him win and I'm sure he probably wins in Round 3 or 4 IF he can survive the early onslaught of Khamzat.
"My personal view is that if FIA does nothing to rectify the rules then I'm ok with any of the guys doing it as long as the incidents are treated the same." Yes but we're not seeing people treated the same. Russell and Tsunoda got penalties and Max didn't. While the rules are written down, the stewards MUST abide by them every time without exception. The FIA expects nothing less from the teams and drivers and so it must be from them also. 0.2mm remember? That's how strict they want to be for a DQ. So they can damn well enforce the 'forcing another driver off track' rule on Max. "100% agree, but until they do something and clarify then he and others are open to do it. I'm sure they will change it for 2025 season after a few meetings with drivers and teams." They aren't open to do it because it's illegal. But Max will continue to break the rules he is not being punished for. Yes for 2025, rules are changing. I would like to see the FIA bring something in for this season, because while it's possible for Norris to win still, Max will use all the tricks he did in 2021. Ok well we disagree on 1 or 2 UFC fighters :) Let's leave that :) Let's see how UFC 308 goes, it looks an interesting card underneath the main event. I REALLY hope Whittaker wins his fight.
"Yes I think that's true up to a point. If that behavior is repeated though, it's going to get harder and harder to explain it away." True, it's just up to them to decide to approach things different in race or to end things as friendship if they continue to have incidents to a point where they can't talk it out anymore. "Yes out of a mutual respect which they have to have for each other after they both gave it their all..." Difficult not to have that respect when share anything up to 25min in the cage and both of you literally put your body/life on the line. "Well except Cormier/Jones. I wish those two would make up because both are amazing." This as well as the McGregor and Khabib rivalry. "Like an eye-poke, clinging to the fence, grabbing the glove vs forcing off track" agreed. "I mean I blame the FIA more for Austin's controversies than I blame Max. Sure Max committed the fouls, but I blame the FIA more for letting him get away with it" My personal view is that if FIA does nothing to rectify the rules then I'm ok with any of the guys doing it as long as the incidents are treated the same. People can agree or disagree with the move as much as they want but the FIA allows the rule to be exploited so it's on them to fix it. "he one thing I think I can be certain of is it the FIA punish him for doing those things, he will stop." 100% agree, but until they do something and clarify then he and others are open to do it. I'm sure they will change it for 2025 season after a few meetings with drivers and teams. "BTW, who's your fave male/female UFC fighters?" I like quite a few, some based on their personalities and some just on their skills. Poirier, Gaethje, Holloway, Dominick Cruz, O'Malley, Umar Nurmagomedov, Makhachev, Topuria, Aldo, Rountree for the men but there's so many. On the woman side would be Shevchenko, Grasso, Namajunas and then Nunes if she comes back. "And who do you want to win the main fight in UFC 308?" My mind says Topuria and my heart says Holloway, don't want to see either of them lose. Really want to see how much power Holloway kept from his last fight at lightweigh against Gaethje.
"Sorry meant to get back to this but really busy." No apologies necessary, all good. :) "Sure I agree, but there is a way to mend this if both sit after a race to watch footage and discus their decision making process and clearly state to one another what they deem to be fair and what not" Yes I think that's true up to a point. If that behaviour is repeated though, it's going to get harder and harder to explain it away. I think Norris might only take so much of those discussions. IMO, no agreement they reach as friends will bear out on the track. Max is no-compromise to the point of not driving within the guidelines. I think that has been instilled in him for years and because of how his father treated him when he didn't win. "I myself watch a lot of UFC fight and even guys that start a rivalry normally end up hugging and talk it out after the fight." Yes out of a mutual respect which they have to have for each other after they both gave it their all. I still find it surreal to see them kneeing, elbowing, cutting the guys face open, and knocking them out and the opponent shakes his hand. Hehe :) But I get it totally in that it's respect for each other on such high level performances. Many bitter rivalries have been settled in the Octagon. Well except Cormier/Jones. I wish those two would make up because both are amazing. I dunno it's so much about safety than about doing the dirty on someone to get ahead. Like an eye-poke, clinging to the fence, grabbing the glove vs forcing off track, overtaking on the outside etc. I mean I blame the FIA more for Austin's controversies than I blame Max. Sure Max committed the fouls, but I blame the FIA more for letting him get away with it. For all I can say against Max (which is many things), the one thing I think I can be certain of is it the FIA punish him for doing those things, he will stop. As long as he is enabled to get away with it, he will continue. And the more he gets away with it, the more confused he's going to be on the day he's punished for it. BTW, who's your fave male/female UFC fighters? And who do you want to win the main fight in UFC 308? For me I like Jon Jones, Adesanya (not going great for him these days), Poirier, Gaethje, Holloway, Brandon Moreno... oh there are others but I can't recall :) Female would be Shevchenko, Juliana Pena, Grasso and I was a Cyborg fan when she was in UFC. For UFC 308, I want Holloway :) That fight with Gaethje was something else!
Sorry meant to get back to this but really busy. "It's one thing to put your friendship on hold and become rivals on track, but quite another when one driver will break the rules to screw his friend over." Sure I agree, but there is a way to mend this if both sit after a race to watch footage and discus their decision making process and clearly state to one another what they deem to be fair and what not, IF they can come to some agreement then it's between them and not us as fans even though we might not feel the same as they do. "I've watch UFC/MMA for a long time........if one of those fighters employs dirty tactics, such as eye pokes, ground strikes etc. they're going to fall out over it." I myself watch a lot of UFC fight and even guys that start a rivalry normally end up hugging and talk it out after the fight. I would just say that two guys in the octagon has a bigger chance of serious injury if rules are not followed, yes racing is dangerous but there's many safety standards in place if something had to happen.
Lewis and rosberg feel out because of lewis and lewis had a tantram and smashed his tralir up
Oh Lewis' fault again eh? Well, what a surprise. I never expected you to lay the blame on Lewis only. :) The point is they were long time friends whose rivalry saw them lose the friendship. And it can happen with Verstappen and Norris. That is the point. Understand?
Popular on GPBlog
F1 Full Results | Japanese Grand Prix FP2: Piastri P1, Norris P2
F1 LIVE | Follow FP2 for the Japanese Grand Prix here
Mercedes breaks F1 rule ahead of Japanese Grand Prix weekend
