At the FIA gala in Rwanda, Lando Norris received the second prize in the drivers’ championship for the first time in his Formula 1 career. The British driver took the opportunity to retract a controversial statement about Max Verstappen made earlier in the year. “You know how the media changes things,” said the McLaren driver.
During the Grand Prix of São Paulo, Max Verstappen delivered a crushing blow to Lando Norris in the race for the drivers’ championship. The Red Bull driver won the rain race, having started from seventeenth place. Meanwhile, Norris fell back to sixth place, despite having started from pole position.
The McLaren driver lost the chance for a good finish due to a poorly timed pit stop. Norris had dived into the pits just before the race was halted due to a severe crash. Under the red flag, Verstappen then received a ‘free’ pit stop. “You take a gamble, it paid off for them (Red Bull),” reflected the McLaren driver after the race. “It’s not talent or, you know, it’s just luck. So just a bit of bad luck.
Norris Retracts Statement
Particularly, the comment about Max Verstappen having ‘luck’ with his pit stop started to take on a life of its own in the media. The quote was brought up again during the FIA gala, so the Brit seized the opportunity to retract his statement. “Firstly, I take back that comment when I said it was all luck and no talent,” Norris said as he accepted his trophy. “You know how the media can twist things.”
The Brit then also congratulated Verstappen on his fourth World Cup. “First of all, congratulations to Max. What he has done this year, what he did in Brazil, was of course incredible,” said the McLaren driver. “I’m the first to acknowledge such a thing when I’m up against him. It was of course a tough season. I tried to do my best and deliver the best fight I could, but this year it wasn’t enough.”
