Max Verstappen's claim about Lando Norris relationship, best friend denial, £192,000 bet
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris continue to clash on and off the track in their bid for Drivers' Championship glory, but the two share a conflicting past
by Ben Crawford · The MirrorMax Verstappen and Lando Norris share a friendship that is becoming more and more mystifying by the day.
The three-time title-holding Dutchman and McLaren prodigy have been acquainted with one another since their karting youth, and it is safe to say the two hold an affinity for one another.
However, that brotherhood off the track has become somewhat tainted, as the asphalt transforms into a battleground for the Drivers' Championship, and controversial incidents begin to rack up – most recently seen via the Dutchman’s time penalties earned for pushing Norris off the track in Mexico, where he was dubbed ‘dangerous’ by his friend-turned adversary.
With just four races left of the current season and a 47-point difference for Norris – who was also penalised for an off-track overtaking of his peer in Austin - to make up, Verstappen insists that the only thing on his mind is caring for the relationship he and the 24-year-old have, but the Brit may have other ideas.
‘I only care about our relationship’
Another notable clash between the two colleagues occurred in Austria. The two were vying for the lead, and as lap 64 approached, Norris looked to take the outside line on an aggressively defensive Verstappen, and the two collided.
Verstappen immediately suffered a puncture, and, managing to limp back into the pits, ended up finishing in fifth despite a 10-second time penalty. Norris, on the other hand, was slapped with a five-second penalty but, having also suffered a puncture and damage to his front wing, retired through damage.
This collision sparked debate, and while many may feel tensions would have risen between both drivers, Verstappen was quick to claim that his only concern was preserving the relationship he and Norris share.
“I don't give a s**t about that. I go home. I live my life. And the only thing that I care about is just my relationship to Lando," Verstappen stated post-race. "I think we came to the conclusion that we actually really enjoyed our battle. We looked at the incident, and it was such a silly little touch that had, of course, great consequence for both of us."
‘We’re not best friends’
A string of incidents may have affected how Verstappen views his friendship with Norris, but prior to their clash in Austria, the British driver had already made his point clear: the two are not best friends.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 about their potential championship rivalry, Norris admitted: “Like, I don’t want to say it in a bad way. We have respect for one another, we get along. We’re not best friends. We don’t text each other every day, that kind of thing.
“But we just have a lot of respect from him to me and me back to him. So I look forward to it. I want to challenge him, I want to race against him, I want to battle because I think he’s one of the best drivers ever in Formula One."
Verstappen, however, stated after this that Norris was, in fact, his best friend on the grid, maybe hinting at a growing distance between the pair on the Englishman's side.
"He is my best friend on the grid," Verstappen told the Daily Mail in July. “He loves what he is doing. I could see clearly from years ago in go-karting that he was very quick - though we never raced against each other. Everything just came to him really naturally as a driver."
‘I downloaded Duolingo the other day’
The animosity between the two has been bolstered by the latest affair in Mexico. Entering Lap 10, Turn Four, Norris shot up on the outside to be aggressively pushed off by Verstappen and, having sauntered around the Dutchman, was then subjected to a lunge up the inside that almost saw them clash again.
Norris’ radio was telling, as he immediately exclaimed: “This guy is dangerous. I will be in the wall in a minute.” However, despite his denial, Norris has previously mirrored the affection Verstappen showed him with his comments in Austin – though that could well have changed now.
Back in 2023, during a live stream, Norris could be heard commenting on his and Verstappen's friendship, going as far as to say he had downloaded the educational language app Duolingo to learn the Dutchman’s native tongue.
"I downloaded Duolingo the other day. I want to try and learn Dutch so I can speak to Max," Norris revealed. This is a definitive indicator of where the two once saw each other and slightly contradicts Norris’ later claim that the two aren’t all that close.
’99 per cent he gets that trophy’
Yet, things change. The two evidently are now, whether they like it or not, being thrust into a title fight. Verstappen is known for his no-nonsense aggressiveness on the track, and if statements post-Mexico are anything to go by, then perhaps the two will see their friendship dwindle.
"This was another level on both of those cases," insisted Norris when asked about both the crash in Austria and his penalty in Austin. "It [the incident in Mexico] was another level on both. I was ahead of Max in the braking zone, past the apex. I am avoiding crashing. This is the difference. I can't speak for him, and maybe he'll say something different. But I think it was a step too far from both of those.”
Verstappen, on the other hand, stayed coy when asked about the incident: “At the end of the day, if you agree with it or not, it doesn’t matter because the penalties are given.”
The two now have four races left that are sure to define both of their careers, and one man who is backing Verstappen to prevail is Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds. Putting his money where his mouth is, Dodds boldly claimed, whilst talking to TNT Sports, that he would donate $250,000 (£192k) to any other driver that wins the crown than the Dutchman.
"99 per cent he [Verstappen] gets that trophy," Dodds exclaimed. "I'll tell you what, so if he doesn't win it, there are 19 other drivers, if any one of the other 19 drivers wins it, we'll give a quarter of a million dollars to the charity of choice of the other driver that wins it."
With this incentive and the undoubtedly greater one of a debut world title, Norris promises to take his battle with Verstappen to the wire, love lost or not.
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