Max Verstappen calls out ‘a lot of idiots’ who question state of Norris friendship
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris are friends and faced the challenge of learning to race as rivals.
Max Verstappen highlighted that there are “some proper idiots” on social media who like to amplify any tension between the Red Bull driver and McLaren rival Lando Norris.
Verstappen and Norris, both friends away from the circuit, ended up as the main title protagonists in the F1 2024 season – with multiple on-track flashpoints between the two that could have caused friction as they fought for the Drivers’ Championship.
Max Verstappen clarifies state of Lando Norris friendship
Verstappen claimed his fourth World Championship in Las Vegas after several on-track battles between himself and Norris that resulted in controversy throughout the F1 2024 season.
He was penalised twice in Mexico for his defence and subsequent attack against the McLaren driver, which involved him forcing Norris off track, while his defending around the outside in Austin a week before also led to Norris being given a penalty for overtaking off the circuit.
The pair collided in Austria during a tense fight for the lead, but through it all, the Red Bull driver maintains that conversations around their friendship become overblown in the online sphere.
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As a result, he looks away from what is said on social media, and reiterated that the duo “get on very well” away from the track.
“People always make it really like a lot worse on social media,” Verstappen said on Red Bull’s in-house Talking Bull podcast when asked about the current state of his relationship between himself and Norris.
“There are a lot of idiots on that platform that always have something to say, something to complain about. There was a lot of positive people, but also some proper idiots.
“I think it’s better just to ignore all of that. But Lando and I, we get on very well.
“Of course, at times it got a bit tense on track, but off track, that shouldn’t matter. We always try to do the best we can on track to get the best possible result.
“You are fighting for a World Championship, so I think it’s normal that these kind of things can happen, but we’re good.”
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