“He is my best friend on the grid”: When Max Verstappen once explained why McLaren star Lando Norris is his close confidante in the F1 world

F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain - Qualifying
Max Verstappen talks about his friendship with Lando Norris (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Max Verstappen once said that McLaren star Lando Norris is his "best friend" on the F1 grid.

Both drivers are considered close mates by fans, and even during celebrations, they are seen spending quality time together. Recently, after his win in China, Verstappen posted a picture with Norris on his Instagram. The latter finished the race in second place.

Talking about their friendship, Max Verstappen said that he likes spending time with Lando Norris because he is "himself and normal." He further said that he has been observing Norris since he was in karting and was impressed with his driving.

"I get on really well with Lando because he is just himself and normal," Verstappen said (via Daily Mail). "He is my best friend on the grid. He loves what he is doing. I could see clearly from years ago in go-karting that he was very quick - though we never raced against each other. Everything just came to him really naturally as a driver."

While Max Verstappen and Lando Norris speak highly of each other, the latter was also worried about F1's viewership under the Dutch driver's dominance.


Lando Norris warns F1 of Max Verstappen's dominance: "It's frustrating for people watching"

Max Verstappen has dominated the F1 grid since winning his first world championship in the 2021 season. Throughout the 2023 season, Carlos Sainz was the only non-Red Bull driver to win a Grand Prix.

Under the current circumstances, fans expect no one but Max Verstappen to win a Grand Prix. He has managed to do so in four out of the five races held so far this season.

Speaking of Verstappen's dominance, Lando Norris said that it can be "frustrating" for the spectators. He said:

"It is frustrating for people watching but it has always been like this,” PlanetF1 quoted Norris as saying. "Now, we are seeing more dominance than ever, so it is never going to be the best to watch and the only exciting races have been the ones that Max is not in."

He also explained why the races have become "boring" to watch.

"If you see the same driver winning every single time without a fight then of course it does start to become boring and that is obvious," Norris added.

Verstappen leads the current world championship with 110 points in his bag. His teammate Sergio Perez currently sits in second place with 85 points. Red Bull also lead the constructors championship, with Ferrari in second place.

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