Lando Norris refused to get sucked into Max Verstappen’s mind games after the Red Bull racer told the press that he would have wrapped up the World Championship title a long time ago, had he been driving for McLaren in 2025. The four-time world champion is hanging on in his pursuit of a fifth consecutive crown with two races remaining this season.
Before a wheel was turned at the Lusail International Circuit, Norris boasted a 24-point lead over both Verstappen and team-mate Oscar Piastri, although for many, the Red Bull driver’s mere presence in the conversation was nothing short of a miracle, given the gulf in performance between the MCL39 and RB21.
Speaking to PA in Qatar, Verstappen said: “We wouldn’t be talking about a championship. It would already have been won, easily. I mean they won the Constructors’ Championship so early that yeah … you can fill it in yourself.”
After finishing third in Saturday’s sprint race, two places behind winner Piastri and one ahead of Verstappen, Norris was asked about the reigning champion’s comments. McLaren’s British racer responded by brushing off Red Bull’s mind games.
“You know, he’s very welcome to say everything he wants, to be honest,” Norris stated. “He’s kind of earned the right; he’s won four World Championships. I have a lot of respect, and I think that gives anyone a lot of credit in general.
“He’s achieved an incredible amount, more than anyone generally dreams of achieving. Max generally has a good clue about a lot of things, but there’s also a lot of things he doesn’t have much of a clue about, you know?
“But this is also Red Bull’s way of going about things, this kind of aggressive nature and just talking nonsense a lot of the time. So it depends if you want to listen to it and talk about, like you love to, or you do what we do as a team, which is keep our heads, keep focused. So maybe he would have done, but he hasn’t so far, and he keeps trying.”
If Verstappen is to keep the fight alive heading into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next weekend, he will need to respond to his fourth-place sprint finish with a strong qualifying result. The Dutchman now trails Norris by 25 points, meaning he must avoid being out-scored on Sunday to stay in the hunt.
Piastri, meanwhile, will hope to convert his impressive pace from Friday and the sprint into pole position. The Australian has failed to out-score either of his title rivals in the last seven Grand Prix weekends, but seems to have arrested his slide in the nick of time.
