"You'll be world champion": Max Verstappen to Lando Norris after clinching his 4th F1 world title
Max Verstappen had a heartwarming conversation with Lando Norris after winning his fourth consecutive world championship at the 2024 F1 Las Vegas GP. The Red Bull star assured Norris that he will become a world champion one day.
In the 2024 F1 season, McLaren made significant strides, closing the gap to Red Bull and even surpassing them in terms of raw pace. This development provided Lando Norris with a golden opportunity to challenge Max Verstappen for the drivers' championship.
They engaged in intense wheel-to-wheel battles and even had some collisions, vying for race wins and higher positions on various Grand Prix. This heightened their rivalry, leading many to question the impact of their on-track battles on their off-track friendship.
Most recently, Max Verstappen managed to secure the lead in the table and win his fourth world title against Norris. After the Las Vegas GP, where Verstappen clinched the title, Norris approached the Dutchman to congratulate him during a media interaction.
Both turned away from the cameras to talk for a while. This conversation was picked up by the microphones. Verstappen assured Norris that one day he would be the world champion.
"I told you, many times, there will be a day [when] you will be world champion," Verstappen said.
"Let's celebrate in Abu Dhabi," Norris replied.
Verstappen remains at the top of the championship table with 403 points to his credit, while Norris is in second place with 340 points.
Lando Norris congratulates Max Verstappen for securing fourth consecutive world championship
Second-placed Lando Norris recently congratulated Max Verstappen for winning his fourth consecutive world championship. In a recent interview with F1.com, Norris acknowledged his disappointment at missing out on the title fight himself. However, he emphasized Verstappen's well-deserved victory, praising the Red Bull star for not having any weaknesses.
Norris further highlighted Verstappen's ability to consistently perform at the highest level, even when not driving the outright fastest car.
“Congrats to Max – I’m disappointed I’m out of it, but Max deserved to win it. He drove a better season than I did, he deserved it more than anyone else, Max just doesn’t have a weakness. When he’s got the best car he dominates and when he’s not got the best car he’s still just there always, always there to make your life tough and difficult," Norris said.
Verstappen's fourth world title places him alongside legendary drivers like Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel, each with four championships to their name.