As the 2024 season ended with Max verstappen taking his fourth consecutive championship, he is the one to beat. However, towards the end of the season, the competition between McLaren and Ferrari was very close. Lando Norris thinks that the season will start that way as well. In an interview with ESPN, he mentioned his future competition.
After the Miami Grand Prix, Norris had the better car across most tracks. Red Bull Racing's RB20 was unstable and incapable of performing at the highest level in most Grand Prix. Norris won his first race, and three more, over the 2024 Formula 1 season. Before losing out to Verstappen, the British driver hunted the Dutchman down for the first place in the drivers' championship standings.
Norris about Verstappen in 2025
Norris said, "I don't think Max is going to be just the guy. I think it's going to be everyone. I don't think there's going to be any more interviews where I'm just talking about Max."
While he doesn't think Verstappen will be the only one, he does admit that Verstappen is the one people are talking about. "When you talk about who is the driver to beat, then you would probably say Max; he's won the last [four] championships in a row. So he's definitely the guy to beat."
After winning the constructors championship for the first time ever in his career and for the first time in 26 years for McLaren, Norris said, "We're coming into this season with our heads higher than ever, with higher expectations from ourselves because we've never started the season strong."
He continued, "Quite simply, it doesn't sound good. And I'm not proud of saying that. But we've not started the season on the right foot at any point, and we’re hoping that this is the season where we can, and that’ll put us in a much stronger position to go into the start of the season from that point onwards instead of having to play catchup. We can just be strong from the beginning."
He concluded, "There are many different points, but Max isn't going to be the guy; it's going to be many. It's going to be all the others, and I'm excited to see what we can do."
This article was written in collaboration with Esteban den Toom.
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After winning the constructors championship for the first time ever in his career and for the first time in 26 years for McLaren, Norris said, "We're coming into this season with our heads higher than ever, with higher expectations from ourselves because we've never started the season strong." Answer: Perez made it happen!!!!
Lando right on the money....field has certainly closed up....and second half stats from last year suggest its a mixed bag.
Quotes from the always respectful and very sincere 44-8xLegend: "Death threats for Latifi were ridiculous also. Red Bull I assume got some too but, again, they deserved a fair bit of that." "Wow, this tax-frauding, decrepit, shrivelled up old fart is still alive?" "Fester in your grief little troll, you earned it." "the next troll to come along with the same hair-brained idea that trying to provoke me" "but you cry into your dress about me giving it back." "I owned you so badly that you can't get go of the grief." "Go wave your d*ck to someone else. Without me on this blog, you're nothing." "This is a topic that is way above your pay-grade. I don't expect closed-minded Max fans to grasp or accept the facts" "The very idea that you had to ask that question, shows how little you know." So everybody think of your mental well-being, and don't get yourself involved with such a nasty and toxic bully, he thrives on upsetting others. Safe yourself the abuse.
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