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'Verstappen will not have an easy season in 2025, Norris will be with him'
Two-time Formula 1 world champion Mika Hakkinen believes that Lando Norris will make next season extremely tough for Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver claimed his fourth consecutive world title last weekend in Las Vegas, beating his closest contender, Norris, in the Process. In his column for Unibet, the former McLaren world champion praised Verstappen's achievements but highlighted that more drivers will be on his tail in 2025.
According to Hakkinen, 2024 was Verstappen's best championship victory, as his consistency has shone through. "He often had to accept he could not win the race, but he did what was needed to protect his lead, finish on the podium, or at least score enough points to prevent his rivals from closing on him. Winning races is one thing; putting together a World Championship requires a different mindset as you learn the importance of consistency, knowing when to back off, save the car, and maximise the points," Hakkinen explained. Since the Spanish Grand Prix in June, Verstappen has only won one Grand Prix, the triumph in Brazil from 17th place.
Hakkinen: 'Verstappen is the most complete driver'
In the eyes of Hakkinen, the Dutchman has also become a team leader at Red Bull. "He helped Red Bull Racing win the Drivers’ title in a season when the car’s performance was inconsistent, the team had some tensions, and his teammate Checo Perez struggled to support him on track. He has really developed into the most complete driver.
'Norris can make things difficult for Verstappen in 2025'
In recent months, Lando Norris has been Max Verstappen's biggest contender for the world title. Hakkinen expects the Brit to make things much more difficult for Verstappen next season, especially if McLaren continues to develop their car. "Suppose McLaren can keep the car’s development moving in the right direction into 2025. In that case, Max will not find next year’s World Championship as easy to dominate in the first half of the season, and I expect Lando and teammate Oscar Piastri to be right there from Melbourne onwards." He concluded.
This article was written in collaboration with Ludo van Denderen
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