Red Bull Max Verstappen of the Netherlands pilot, on the left, and the McLaren Lando Norris pilot in Great Britain speak during a press conference during a Formula 1 pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, Thursday, February 27, 2025. (AP Photo / Darko Bandic)
Sakhir, Bahrair – Max Verstappen and Lando Norris rejected the suggestions that their Formula 1 rivalry has become a personal quarrel, going so far as to joke Thursday that they had been reduced to a fight in an ad.
Norris was the closest challenger from Verstappen last season when the Dutch pilot won a fourth consecutive F1 title. The hard and controversial battles on the track triggered a debate on the fact that the Rules F1 are enough to dissuade aggressive or risky driving.
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Read: F1: Max Verstappen should consider a career in comedy, says Norris
“It is a terrible relationship. We no longer continue. He wreaked havoc, “said Verstappen while Norris was gleaming next to him at a press conference on the second day of pre-season tests.
“We fought the other day in a local pub,” sounded Norris.
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“We had to get escorted (out),” added Verstappen. “I always say,” You should have seen the other guy “, but in fact, he always looks good.”
Norris said this month that he had learned from the difficulty experience in Verstappen last year and said that he would have an “elbow” approach during the Verstappen race in the future.
Read F1: Lando Norris says he must change to be at the Verstappen level
“I know there will be difficult battles and I am sure that some of them will not always end as I want or, hope it, Max wants, but we run drivers. We get along, ”said Norris on Thursday.
“I know that everyone is trying to make their own points and say what is correct and what is not correct, but we respect ourselves a lot and we are delighted with more race on the right track.”
The strong form of Norris in the second half of 2024 means that it is considered a strong candidate to dethrone Verstappen this year, and it was the fastest the first day of pre-season test in Bahrain on Wednesday.
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