'Norris is not quite aware of what is needed to stop Verstappen'
F1 News
Former F1 driver and now FIA steward Johnny Herbert has branded Lando Norris as "too nice" to deal with the "intimidation" of Max Verstappen, as both drivers had yet another on-track battle in the 2024 season, this time at the United States Grand Prix. That battle saw Norris overtake Verstappen, but doing so by gaining an advantage off the track, resulting in a five-second penalty that pushed the Brit behind the Dutchman come the race's end.
At the Circuit of The Americas last weekend, Norris was reeling in Verstappen as the race entered its final stages, but like in Austria, Norris tried several times to make a move, but he lacked the aggression or decisiveness needed to make stick against the great defensive moves of the Dutchman.
Norris edged closer and closer, and with the aid of slipstream and DRS down the back straight, it looked like he would finally pass. However, as we have seen from Verstappen before, he was able to get to the apex of the corner first and then force Norris off the track as he went out wide, forcing Norris to overtake off the track, and as he did not give the position back, he was given a five-second penalty.
Norris also had the jump on Verstappen right at the beginning of the race after starting on pole position. But once again, that lack of aggression showed itself again as he did not close the door on the Dutchman, allowing him to sneak up the inside of the extremely wide turn 1 at COTA, once again forcing the Brit out wide and meaning he dropped down the order behind Verstappen, as well as Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Norris 'not aware of what is needed to stop Verstappen'
It's been a criticism of Norris in the 2024 title battle that he has let moments pass because of his lack of aggression while battling Verstappen, and that is something that Herbert mentioned while speaking to Genting Casinos: "Too nice is probably one way of using it. I think it's probably being not quite aware enough of what was needed to stop Max Verstappen, I think for me it was just to shut the door. Then let him try and work a way around you, but why leave that gap open?"
Herbert continued on by saying why Verstappen is so much better than Norris at these types of on-track battles: "Max very well is a threat, and this is something that is very, very powerful and it's something that Max has done ever since he came into Formula One and maybe we haven't quite seen that from Lando, it's intimidation. The intimidation that you put on someone because when you go into Turn 1, Lando knew it was Max, and when you know it, Max, the intimidation is, I've got to be in the right place at the right point. It's almost like a mini panic."
This intimidation is something that Norris has to bring into his driving in one form or another if he wants to try and challenge Verstappen in years to come: "When it's the other way around, is he [Verstappen] thinking like that? No. He's all got it very much in control. But we're talking of really small elements that will actually make Lando more complete, and more complete is something that does, as I said, that does make some people become more complete, just that little bit later than the other driver," concluded Herbert.
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