Max Verstappen’s ‘awkward’ interaction with Lando Norris just moments after he won the Formula 1 championship has got fans online talking.
Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday but Norris‘ third-place finish was enough to win the F1 drivers’ championship.
Norris finished the F1 season with 423 points, two points ahead of Verstappen, who was aiming to win his fifth world title in a row.
Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, came in third, with 410 points on the board after finishing behind the Dutchman at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
As tradition, the top three drivers gathered in the cooldown room.
Norris made his way into the cooldown room, where Verstappen and Piastri had been chatting about the race.
As the Brit took his seat, Verstappen congratulated him on winning his maiden F1 championship.
But Norris barely responded in an awkward exchange that didn’t go unnoticed among F1 fans on social media.
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris shared an ‘awkward’ exchange in the cooldown room following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Image: Sky Sports
One X user wrote: “This is such an awkward cooldown room??”
A second questioned: “How is Max Verstappen the convo maker in this cooldown room.”
A third added: “Most awkwardly silent, long cooldown room in history.”
Another commented: “Most awkward cooldown room of all time.”
Lando Norris celebrates winning the F1 championship. Image: Getty
Norris has become F1 world champion for the first time in his career and is the first McLaren driver to win the title since Lewis Hamilton in 2008.
After crossing the line in the race, the 26-year-old cut a hugely emotional figure on the team radio.
“Thank you guys, oh my God. You have made my dreams come true, thank you so much,” he said.
“I love you guys. Thanks for everything, you deserve it. I love you mum, I love you dad.
“Thanks for everything,” he added. “I’m not crying!”
McLaren boss Zak Brown added: “We did it, it wasn’t easy. Lando and Oscar, what a group of great drivers!”
