Lando Norris says he is amused by the ongoing division between George Russell and Max Verstappen. However, Norris downplays the accusations Russell has made against the Dutchman.
Norris: I hope Verstappen and Russell continue to squabble
There have been several occasions this year when Lando Norris and Max Verstappen have come to blows.
Their earliest incident was in Austria, where they collided whilst fighting for the win.
Most recently, Verstappen was given two 10-second penalties for trying to forcing Norris off-track in Mexico.
Still, both drivers remain on relatively friendly terms – considering they were fighting for the title.
Perhaps because of this, the McLaren driver doesn’t agree with Russell’s criticisms about Verstappen:
“I hope it doesn’t get smoothed out,” Norris told Sky Sports.
“I hope they stay fighting and arguing – because it’s amusing to watch.
“It depends, every driver has their own way of doing things. I don’t think Max tries to intimidate, Max just says the truth and his opinion.
“A lot of the time, he just says the truth about things. People don’t like to hear truth nowadays in life.
“He’s honest, and he just gives his opinion.
“I’m completely fine with that. Sometimes I disagree with his opinion, sometimes I agree.
“But that’s life, and we move on. I respect Max a lot, I respect George a lot. But I don’t mind if they lose respect for one another.”
Unless McLaren have an unexpected drop-off over winter, Lando Norris will fight at the front again in 2025.
However, unlike this season, Mercedes should be capable of challenging the papaya squad from round one.
This means that George Russell and Lando Norris will be amongst those challenging Verstappen for his crown.
In this context, on and off-track disputes between the front-runners can be expected to intensify.
