Max Verstappen admits Lando Norris pushed him to the limit in fight for Qatar GP victory
Max Verstappen reckoned that Lando Norris put forth a great battle at the Qatar GP during the initial moments of the race.
Follow Us
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris shaking hands (via Formula 1)
Max Verstappen put forth an extremely impressive turnaround in performance after scoring the race win at the Qatar GP. Despite struggling with pace throughout the weekend, Verstappen secured the pole and won the race. Moreover, the 27-year-old put forth a highly enticing battle with Lando Norris for the win towards the end.
Lando Norris was on the trajectory to compete with Max Verstappen for the race win. However, the Briton was hit with a massive 10-second stop-go penalty and fell down to P10. Regardless, Verstappen and Norris put forth great racing during the earlier stages of the race. The Dutchman noted that it was an excellent race due to a ‘lot better’ car. Subsequently, the reigning world champion highlighted the 25-year-old pushing the former, which increased the fun while racing on the track.
It was a very good race, the car was a lot better. That first stint was very, very fast – me and Lando were pushing each other, always within 1.8s and it was a lot of fun out there.
Max Verstappen said during the post-race interview
Apart from the massive penalties, the Qatar GP was filled with on-track incidents and safety cars. Verstappen reckoned that it had been a while since Red Bull was competitive on the dry track. The 27-year-old recalled the ‘spicy moment’ with Norris heading into Turn 1 of the circuit during the beginning of the race.
A few Safety Car moments, but very happy. It’s been a while in the dry since we’ve been this competitive. It got a bit spicy into Turn 1 [with Norris] but very happy to win here.
Max Verstappen added
Max Verstappen: It was a very good race, the car was a lot better. That first stint was very, very fast – me and Lando were pushing each other, always within 1.8s and it was a lot of fun out there.
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) December 1, 2024
Max Verstappen anticipates ‘fighting for win’ at 2024 season finale
The 2024 season finale at Abu Dhabi is right around the corner as Max Verstappen looks positively in the forward direction. Following Red Bull’s impressive pace in Qatar, the Dutchman looked hopeful for the season’s final race. Verstappen recalled the team’s competitive pace in Abu Dhabi over the past few seasons and anticipated a chance of victory there.
The last few years we’ve been competitive [in Abu Dhabi] so hopefully we can fight for a win there again.
Max Verstappen noted
Despite the massive struggles throughout the season, Red Bull has still achieved a great upturn in performance. Even Sergio Perez was on the trajectory to score good points over the weekend if it wasn’t for a sudden power failure. As a result, Milton Keynes can achieve a great start to the 2025 season amidst such results at the end of the season.
Stay Updated!
Aditya Pandya
(1440 Articles Published)