LAS VEGAS — Lando Norris called Max Verstappen “perfect” after his fourth world championship and said he is confident he can beat the Dutchman for a world title in 2025 if the opportunity presents itself.
Verstappen won his fourth title with fifth place in Las Vegasfinishing ahead of Norris as was necessary.
Norris’ outstanding season, which saw him take three wins, saw him as an outsider in the title fight for a few months.
Verstappen won seven of the first 10 races, but only one in the second half of the season, something Norris highlighted in his praise of the Red Bull driver.
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Max Verstappen celebrates his fourth consecutive world championship
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen says he “never thought this was possible” as he wins the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship for the fourth time in a row at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
“Congratulations to him,” Norris said of Verstappen’s title. “He deserved it. He hasn’t been wrong, really, all year. So that’s his strength, he doesn’t have any bad… he doesn’t have any disadvantages. It has no negative points.
“When he had the fastest car, he dominated the races. When he’s not in the fastest car, he’s still right behind us and almost won the races anyway. So he just doesn’t have a bad side. He hasn’t had a bad race all year. You know, his worst was about a fifth or something like that. He just drove like Max always drove, which is perfect. And I can’t blame him for anything.
Norris has been criticized in some quarters for his approach to the battle against Verstappen, with some suggesting he was not ruthless enough in the fight. But the British driver said his season had been marked by important lessons.
“A lot more positives and negatives. That’s for sure. I feel like I can fight for a championship and I’m happy, and I can say that with confidence. I have what it takes, and I know that deep down, I have what it takes. I still have some things to work on, that’s for sure, but I can fight Max, and I’ll be happy to say that, because I think Max is the best driver in the world, and probably one of the best drivers of all time. been in Formula 1.
“Some people might disagree, but I’m pretty confident when I say that, which is rare. So for me, fighting against him and going wheel to wheel is something that I love, I enjoy.
“I will probably think back on a lot of things in 20 or 30 years that I fought a pilot like that. So you know, I’m happy for him. He deserves the championship, but I hope I can upset him more next year.