Max Verstappen's claim about Lando Norris relationship, best friend denial, £192,000 bet

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris proceed to clash connected and disconnected the way successful their bid for Drivers' Championship glory, but the 2 stock a conflicting past

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris stock a relationship that is becoming much and much mystifying by the day.

The three-time title-holding Dutchman and McLaren prodigy person been acquainted with 1 different since their karting youth, and it is harmless to accidental the 2 clasp an affinity for 1 another.

However, that brotherhood disconnected the way has become somewhat tainted, arsenic the asphalt transforms into a battleground for the Drivers' Championship, and controversial incidents statesman to rack up – astir precocious seen via the Dutchman’s clip penalties earned for pushing Norris disconnected the way successful Mexico, wherever helium was dubbed ‘dangerous’ by his friend-turned adversary.

With conscionable 4 races near of the existent play and a 47-point quality for Norris – who was besides penalised for an off-track overtaking of his adjacent successful Austin - to marque up, Verstappen insists that the lone happening connected his caput is caring for the narration helium and the 24-year-old have, but the Brit whitethorn person different ideas.

‘I lone attraction astir our relationship’

Another notable clash betwixt the 2 colleagues occurred successful Austria. The 2 were vying for the lead, and arsenic thigh 64 approached, Norris looked to instrumentality the extracurricular enactment connected an aggressively antiaircraft Verstappen, and the 2 collided.

Verstappen instantly suffered a puncture, and, managing to limp backmost into the pits, ended up finishing successful 5th contempt a 10-second clip penalty. Norris, connected the different hand, was slapped with a five-second punishment but, having besides suffered a puncture and harm to his beforehand wing, retired done damage.

This collision sparked debate, and portion galore whitethorn consciousness tensions would person risen betwixt some drivers, Verstappen was speedy to assertion that his lone interest was preserving the narration helium and Norris share.

“I don't springiness a s**t astir that. I spell home. I unrecorded my life. And the lone happening that I attraction astir is conscionable my narration to Lando," Verstappen stated post-race. "I deliberation we came to the decision that we really truly enjoyed our battle. We looked astatine the incident, and it was specified a silly small interaction that had, of course, large effect for some of us."

‘We’re not champion friends’

A drawstring of incidents whitethorn person affected however Verstappen views his relationship with Norris, but anterior to their clash successful Austria, the British operator had already made his constituent clear: the 2 are not champion friends.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 astir their imaginable title rivalry, Norris admitted: “Like, I don’t privation to accidental it successful a atrocious way. We person respect for 1 another, we get along. We’re not champion friends. We don’t substance each different each day, that benignant of thing.

“But we conscionable person a batch of respect from him to maine and maine backmost to him. So I look guardant to it. I privation to situation him, I privation to contention against him, I privation to conflict due to the fact that I deliberation he’s 1 of the champion drivers ever successful Formula One."

Verstappen, however, stated aft this that Norris was, successful fact, his champion person connected the grid, possibly hinting astatine a increasing region betwixt the brace connected the Englishman's side.

"He is my champion person connected the grid," Verstappen told the Daily Mail successful July. “He loves what helium is doing. I could spot intelligibly from years agone successful go-karting that helium was precise speedy - though we ne'er raced against each other. Everything conscionable came to him truly people arsenic a driver."

‘I downloaded Duolingo the different day’

The animosity betwixt the 2 has been bolstered by the latest matter successful Mexico. Entering Lap 10, Turn Four, Norris changeable up connected the extracurricular to beryllium aggressively pushed disconnected by Verstappen and, having sauntered astir the Dutchman, was past subjected to a lunge up the wrong that astir saw them clash again.

Norris’ vigor was telling, arsenic helium instantly exclaimed: “This feline is dangerous. I volition beryllium successful the partition successful a minute.” However, contempt his denial, Norris has antecedently mirrored the affection Verstappen showed him with his comments successful Austin – though that could good person changed now.

Back successful 2023, during a unrecorded stream, Norris could beryllium heard commenting connected his and Verstappen's friendship, going arsenic acold arsenic to accidental helium had downloaded the acquisition connection app Duolingo to larn the Dutchman’s autochthonal tongue.

"I downloaded Duolingo the different day. I privation to effort and larn Dutch truthful I tin talk to Max," Norris revealed. This is simply a definitive indicator of wherever the 2 erstwhile saw each different and somewhat contradicts Norris’ aboriginal assertion that the 2 aren’t each that close.

’99 per cent helium gets that trophy’

Yet, things change. The 2 evidently are now, whether they similar it oregon not, being thrust into a rubric fight. Verstappen is known for his no-nonsense aggressiveness connected the track, and if statements post-Mexico are thing to spell by, past possibly the 2 volition spot their relationship dwindle.

"This was different level connected some of those cases," insisted Norris erstwhile asked astir some the clang successful Austria and his punishment successful Austin. "It [the incidental successful Mexico] was different level connected both. I was up of Max successful the braking zone, past the apex. I americium avoiding crashing. This is the difference. I can't talk for him, and possibly he'll accidental thing different. But I deliberation it was a measurement excessively acold from some of those.”

Verstappen, connected the different hand, stayed coy erstwhile asked astir the incident: “At the extremity of the day, if you hold with it oregon not, it doesn’t substance due to the fact that the penalties are given.”

The 2 present person 4 races near that are definite to specify some of their careers, and 1 antheral who is backing Verstappen to prevail is Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds. Putting his wealth wherever his rima is, Dodds boldly claimed, whilst talking to TNT Sports, that helium would donate $250,000 (£192k) to immoderate different operator that wins the crown than the Dutchman.

"99 per cent helium [Verstappen] gets that trophy," Dodds exclaimed. "I'll archer you what, truthful if helium doesn't triumph it, determination are 19 different drivers, if immoderate 1 of the different 19 drivers wins it, we'll springiness a 4th of a cardinal dollars to the foundation of prime of the different operator that wins it."

With this inducement and the undoubtedly greater 1 of a debut world title, Norris promises to instrumentality his conflict with Verstappen to the wire, emotion mislaid oregon not.