The suspense is over in the year 2024: it is Max Verstappen who will win a 4th consecutive title, having ruled out the return of Lando Norris.
Will 2024 have seen the birth of a fierce rivalry between the Red Bull driver and the McLaren F1 driver? Of the same ilk as the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen?
Perhaps the best person to answer it is Max Verstappen himself. Does he think Lando Norris could have shaken him up this year?
“We have a lot of incredible young talent in this sport and Lando is certainly one of them. And of course, at times he made things very difficult for me. »
“We just didn't have an answer in a lot of races where they were clearly faster. »
Where did Max Verstappen make the difference, when he often didn't have the best car, especially in the second half of the season? His response? Consistency!
“So it’s obviously been difficult. But to win a championship you have to be consistent. Sometimes you try to outperform. It doesn't happen every weekend, but sometimes you do. And that's what we did. »
“But of course, McLaren at the moment, you know, they are extremely strong. And of course, you know, Lando, I've known him for a long time now. »
When did Max Verstappen consider that Lando Norris would be a very serious candidate for the title?
“Well, I would say from Miami onwards, most of the time we weren't the fastest anymore. And Miami is still very early in the season. So, you know, 50 points, 60 points, they can very easily be filled if you continue to maximize results and not do crazy things. So, I mean, I've been through that myself, being behind by 30, 40 points. I think in 2022 (on Charles Leclerc, editor’s note). Anything is possible, so I always had that in mind. But at the same time, it was just about focusing on what I could control within the team and giving it my all every weekend. »
The friendship between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen may have been put in danger this season, particularly in Austria or Mexico. But everything seems to end well between the two…
“So racing against a friend for the title is always a little different” confirmed Max Verstappen. “But I think we have a lot of respect for each other. And yes, well, I'm sure we'll have plenty more battles to come. »
Can Russell beat Max Verstappen on a regular basis?
With a certain sincerity, Lando Norris recently admitted to sometimes feeling inferior in front of Max. But all drivers in F1 legitimately think that they are the best most of the time: this is for example the case of George Russell who thinks that he could beat Max Verstappen, in the same car.
“Yes, absolutely. Nobody is unbeatable. And you go through these phases where teams and drivers together dominate, and people think if I went up against them I wouldn't be able to compete. And you have to believe in yourself. »
“All of us here all believe in themselves. And for me personally, you know, I'm Lewis Hamilton's teammate, Lewis is the greatest of all time. And Max is completely at his level. So, yes, I absolutely believe in myself that we could fight on a level playing field. »
Is Max Verstappen suitable for next year? For Lewis Hamilton, it will first depend on the level of Red Bull in Australia…
“It really depends… if they still have a second and a half lead in the first race, like this year, no [il ne sera pas possible d’aller battre Max] » Lewis responds tersely.
As for Carlos Sainz, he believes that this second half of the season showed that Max Verstappen was not invincible, far from it.
“As much as I think Max has done an incredible job this year, the second half of the season clearly shows that eight drivers are less than a tenth of each other. We could all beat him every week. He was extremely good, at dominating with a dominant car and extremely good at not making any mistakes in the second half of the season. And that's what earned him, for me, the driver of the year and the championship. »
“But the second half of the season just shows that when we all have more equal cars, we can all compete against each other and make life difficult. And everyone starts making mistakes when they're under pressure, everyone starts complaining about their car, everyone starts complaining in the media about their car. And it's all about managing pressure and not having that margin. Every time you don't have two or three tenths of a margin over your closest rival or your teammate, suddenly the pressure increases and everyone is human. »
