F1 News
Norris has not spoken to Verstappen: 'I don't respect that'
Lando Norris has revealed he has not spoken to Max Verstappen since the incident at the Mexican Grand Prix. The McLaren driver has reiterated that he does not respect the Dutchman for his actions in the race, but his respect for Verstappen as a person and for what he has achieved in Formula 1 remains strong.
For the second week running, Verstappen and Norris engaged on the track. Unlike in Austin, Verstappen picked up a penalty in Mexico. In fact, the Dutchman received two ten-second penalties on the same lap.
"We've not spoken, and I don't think we need to. I've got nothing to say," Norris stated ahead of the race weekend in Brazil. The topic of conversation, of course, was the fight between the two title rivals in Mexico a week ago. Norris had not changed his mind a week after the incident.
Why Norris did not speak to Verstappen
"I still have a lot of respect for Max and everything he does - not respect for what he did last weekend, but respect for him as a person, and also what he's achieved. But it's not for me to speak to him. I'm not his teacher, I'm not his mentor or anything like that," Norris continued.
According to Norris, Verstappen doesn't need that conversation with him either. "Max knows what he has to do. He knows that he did wrong, deep down he does. And it's for him to change, not for me."
Despite the rivalry on track, the friendship between Norris and Verstappen remains intact. "Max is probably one of the most capable drivers on the grid, if not the most. He knows what he can and can't do and where the limits are. So, he knows the changes he has to make," the McLaren driver concluded.
This article has been created in collaboration with Matt Gretton