'Killer' Max Verstappen hailed as 'true champion' after Lando Norris defeat

Dutch racing driver Tom Coronel has hailed Max Verstappen as the "true champion" following his title defeat to Lando Norris, describing him as a "killer".

What appeared to be McLaren's championship to lose during the summer break transformed into one of the most remarkable title fights in recent memory, with four-time world champion Verstappen orchestrating a stunning comeback against Norris and Oscar Piastri.

The Dutchman faced a mountain to climb following the Dutch GP, trailing by 104 points as McLaren's duo seemed to have established an unassailable lead. 

Yet across the final nine rounds, Verstappen systematically chipped away at that deficit, setting up a nail-biting finale in Abu Dhabi.

At the Yas Marina Circuit, Verstappen needed to overturn a 12-point gap to Norris. The Red Bull driver delivered when it mattered most, claiming victory while the McLaren man could only manage third place. 

Though Verstappen closed the gap by 10 points, Norris secured the championship by the narrowest of margins, just two points.

Coronel reflected on Verstappen's exceptional campaign during his end-of-year interview with RacingNews365, pinning the 28-year-old as "rock hard"

"Both I and the international press say: the only real true champion for me is Max," said Coronel. "That is not because I am a Dutchman, but purely because you have seen him grow rock hard. 

"The instinct not to give up, the killer mentality, I think is a very strong one in that.

"And the fact that he got the team back on track, I think that's also a very important one. It was a bit messy at Red Bull. 

"Because of the pressure, he really showed, 'Guys, you have to start taking action now.' And that has been exactly at the right time. You could also say, 'Maybe just not', but that's another discussion."

Verstappen's precarious position

Verstappen's comeback was a precarious one given how far adrift he fell, making any small moment significant. 

Perhaps the most significant moment for Verstappen in the second half of the season came in Qatar, where Norris overtook Kimi Antonelli for fourth in the closing stages following a mistake for the Mercedes driver. 

Had that mistake not happened, Verstappen would have sealed a record-equalling fifth consecutive drivers' title.

Coronel continued: "If you win the last race and are on pole position the last race, then you show, 'I was just the best this year.' 

When you have reduced a 104-point deficit to two points, and then I say for a moment an Antonelli in Qatar, those two points.... If Antonelli hadn't made that little mistake, he would have been champion.

"At least we saw the fight until the end of the season. We thought the second part was going to be very boring. McLaren takes the drivers' title just as easily: it will be Piastri or Norris, we'll hear it.

"We weren't interested in who it was going to be. And then another Verstappen comes in with a crowbar, breaking down the door every time to build the pressure on those guys."