Lando Norris lost the World Championship to Max Verstappen during the Las Vegas Grand Prix. After a fierce title fight, the McLaren driver had to acknowledge his Red Bull rival’s superiority. The Dutchman later claimed that he could have won his fourth title ‘much earlier’ if he had been driving the McLaren. Norris is not entirely comfortable with this remark.
After securing his fourth consecutive title, Verstappen claimed that he could have won the championship in Lando Norris’s McLaren as well. Moreover, he would have been crowned champion much earlier in the MCL38. Norris does not entirely agree with this and points out that Red Bull had the most dominant car at the start of the season.
Lack of a Strong Teammate
“He (Verstappen) should go into comedy or something,” Norris joked with the media in Qatar. “Of course, he can say what he wants, and there are certainly areas where Max is truly phenomenal. That being said, he obviously hasn’t had a teammate who could challenge him in any way. That naturally makes his life a lot easier.”
It has not escaped Lando Norris’s notice that Sergio Pérez has had a disastrous year compared to Verstappen. While the newly crowned world champion has already amassed 403 points, Pérez’s tally stands at 152. This leaves the Mexican driver stuck in eighth place in the championship for now. The last time he finished ahead of Verstappen was during the Australian Grand Prix in March when Verstappen dropped out due to brake problems. The last time the Dutchman was honestly beaten by his teammate was during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2023 – forty Grand Prix ago.
