When Lando Norris is on the race track, he sets aside all his friendships in the Formula 1 paddock.
Despite being friendly outside of the car, Lando Norris admits that he feels animosity towards everyone once he puts down the visor on his racing helmet.
This season marks the first time that the friendly Brit has a genuine chance at winning his first Formula 1 drivers’ championship. He is in pursuit of Max Verstappen, who holds a 52-point lead with six rounds left in the 2024 season, three of which will be utilizing the Sprint format.
Norris is well-liked in the F1 paddock and maintains a positive relationship with many of his competitors, including Verstappen from Red Bull team. However, all of that is forgotten once he starts driving.
The 24-year-old is adamant that he has no plans to be friendly with Verstappen or any other opponents when racing on the track. He rejected the idea that his friendship with the Dutchman would affect his competitive spirit.
“Once I have the helmet on, I detest everyone,” Norris shared with The Athletic. “That remains the same. Many individuals believe that simply getting along with someone or playing a game together automatically makes you best friends in all aspects of life.
“That is complete nonsense.” We perform those actions. Our interests are alike. We engage in padel games as a group, that sort of thing. I think Max is a very sincere guy, and I like him as a person. However, this does not make a difference when I am racing on the track.
The collision between Norris and Verstappen in Austria this season shows that both are willing to push boundaries while racing side by side. The British man claims that his friendship with the Dutch man motivates him to outdo the Red Bull driver even more.
He included: “I believe the individuals you truly connect with off the track are the ones you are most determined to defeat when racing, which goes against the common belief held by many.” They believe that you are overly friendly on the track due to your relationship as teammates. I believe it is the exact opposite.
Norris has narrowed the distance to Verstappen in the last six races following the July British Grand Prix, when Verstappen held an 84-point advantage. There are a total of 180 points available during the last six race weekends, and the driver from McLaren believes he still has a chance to overtake his competitor.
He commented on his recent victory in Singapore, stating, “Our teamwork was flawless, especially in securing Oscar’s third place finish.” However, we must continue doing it at each race until the end of the year if I hope to have a shot at beating Max. We are putting in a lot of effort and if I continue doing the same thing I did this weekend, it’s definitely achievable.
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