"Bet you called Max Verstappen your friend when you needed his private plane": Fans react to Lando Norris saying the two drivers were not that close
F1 fans recently reacted to Lando Norris's comments on his relationship with Max Verstappen. This comment came amid the title battle and intense on-track tussles between the two drivers.
The 2024 F1 season began with Max Verstappen dominating the first few races. However, McLaren quickly closed the gap to Red Bull and Lando Norris became the second-fastest driver after the reigning world champion. From Miami GP, both Norris and Verstappen started locking horns in several races, going wheel-to-wheel and offering an excellent spectacle to the fans.
Since both drivers were good friends off the track, questions arose about how their bond would change now that they were in a title fight. Both stated that their on and off-track relationships are quite different.
In a recent Red Bull interview, Lando Norris said that people think his relationship with Verstappen is closer than it actually is. He added that he has other real friends and that he knows how to separate his connection with Verstappen on and off the track.
"Everybody thinks we are better mates than we are, I have other people who are my real friends. My true friends. He’s a guy I get along with well off the track. That doesn’t change. I am good at keeping things separate. If someone treats me like s*** on track, it doesn’t mean I will treat them like s*** off the track. They are two different worlds," Norris said.
Many F1 fans were unimpressed with this comment. They criticized Norris and mentioned how he must have said that Verstappen was his friend when he was using his private jet to travel for free.
"No I guess he will just shit talk them in the media. Bet you called Max your friend when you needed his private plane..." one fan wrote.
"'I need the free plane rides'," another added.
On the other hand, some people were simply confused by the McLaren driver's comments and discussed how they have been weird ever since Norris's battle with the Red Bull driver in Austria.
"lol weird thing to say," a follower wondered.
"His comments about his friendship with Max have been pretty damn weird ever since Austria tbh," someone chimed in.
"It’s my first time being in this situation": Lando Norris finds it difficult to gage his relationship with Max Verstappen amid title battle
After the triple header, where Max Verstappen extended his lead in the title battle, Lando Norris once again touched on his friendship status with the three-time world champion.
Speaking to F1.com, he said that he felt conflicted about his feelings towards Verstappen, particularly because they were so different on and off the track. He added that since this was the first time he was in such a situation, he did not know how his friendship with Verstappen would pan out. He concluded that he still respects the Red Bull driver and hopes that the feeling was reciprocated.
“I don’t know, I’m split. In some ways, you kind of think how someone can be personally and how you can get along with people can be so different to how you are on track.” Norris said.
“It’s such a different world there on the track to here doing this [in the paddock]. It’s my first time being in this situation, and time will tell how that changes. But for now I still respect Max, I think he respects me, but maybe ask me again at the end of the year!” he added.
As of now, Max Verstappen leads the driver's championship table with 393 points, while Lando Norris is second with 331 points.