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Steiner explains the vital "difference" between Norris and Verstappen
Guenther Steiner notes the "difference" between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris as the Dutchman looks set to win his fourth world title in a championship where Norris "should win races." In a title battle that has been led by Verstappen throughout the season but has had Norris creeping closer and closer, the Red Bull driver dealt the Brit a major blow at the Brazilian Grand Prix by taking an unbelievable victory.
Verstappen started the Grand Prix at Interlagos all the way back in P17 while Norris started from pole position, looking certain to close the gap to the Dutchman and turn the championship right around with three races remaining. However, by the end of the race, Verstappen drove a masterful race, weaving his way through the grid to take victory by nearly 20 seconds, while Norris faded and could only finish in P6.
Eight pole positions have been won by the McLaren driver throughout the 2024 season, but only two of those have resulted in wins, with mistakes off the start and throughout the race hindering his chances to catch Verstappen in the drivers' championship and ultimately be his downfall in what could have been a career-defining moment for the 24-year-old.
Steiner cites this key difference between Norris and Verstappen
Former Haas team principal Steiner was asked about why Norris has struggled to keep up with Verstappen in 2024 on The Red Flags Podcast, and the Italian said: "Let's go back to Austin with what Max did, he took a chance and did what he did, and the penalty, Lando got that. And Max then in Mexico came back did the same thing again. He just pushes the envelope and the limits, and Lando doesn’t. I think that is the difference between the two of them."
Steiner continued on, saying that the key difference between the two drivers is the reason why Norris has not been able to take advantage of McLaren's superior pace this year: "In theory, Lando should nail the start and win every race pole position, and if he did that, then he would be the champion. I always thought the car would make it up for him. Even with Max being the better racer, as we know, because the McLaren at this moment is the better car, if Lando is neutral, not being fantastic, but also not making mistakes, he could have won the championship. Now, he can't anymore."
The fact that the championship is now all but over is because of Verstappen's stunning win in Sao Paulo, with Steiner concluding by being full of praise for Verstappen: "[It ranks] pretty high. He did the last restart when he overtook Ocon, and then he just drove away. That showed it's like he was controlling the race. He was in charge. He was in a good place."
"And I think he's very happy to have had this opportunity to show how good he is because, obviously, there was criticism. He just won when he had the best car all the time, the last years. He did a good job."
This article was created in collaboration with Corwin Kunst
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