As Lando Norris knuckles down for what is becoming an increasingly intense title fight with Max Verstappen , he is going to have to accept he cannot bring a knife to a gunfight. Verstappen has left both Norris and Formula 1 in no doubt that he is willing to go to the limit – and even beyond it – when it comes to ensuring he does not let a fourth world title slip through his grasp. His clinical defensive tactics – making sure he eases off the brakes to get to that apex first – have become more obvious after the spotlight on F1’s Driving Standards Guidelines that erupted in the wake of Austin.
But it was perhaps his aggressive move at Turn 8 in Mexico, where he launched a divebomb that forced Norris to take avoiding action to prevent a collision – that exposed his true mindset. His obsession with beating Norris seems to come above everything else, because in both Austin (Turn 1) and Mexico (Turn 8), his focus on ensuring that he kept the McLaren in check left an open door for Ferrari to grab results that have helped it leapfrog Red Bull in the constructors’ championship. Formula 1 Focus on Verstappen/Norris controversies "perfect situation" for Ferrari As Charles Leclerc cheekily said last weekend, after gaining both times from Norris/Verstappen incidents: “I welcome Max being as aggressive as possible to Lando, because it helps me.
” Verstappen received two 10s penalties for his clashes with Norris in Mexico Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images Verstappen.
