Lando Norris warned against 'paranoid' approach to Max Verstappen fight

Former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner has insisted Lando Norris must avoid becoming “paranoid” in battle against Max Verstappen.

The duo went wheel-to-wheel on a handful of occasions last year as they contested for the F1 titles.

The squabbles have continued this season, with the pair once again getting close to coming to blows during the Miami Grand Prix last weekend.

Speaking after taking the chequered flag in second place, Norris reflected on his battle with Verstappen: “If I don't go for it, people complain. If I go for it, people complain, so you can't win.”

Steiner asserted Norris should not take notice of what fans say about his driving methods.

“Focus more on yourself, what you want to do and not what people say,” Steiner told the Red Flag podcast.

“Don’t listen to all that stuff. Just try to do the best.”

'Shy' Lando Norris should change approach to Max Verstappen

Former F1 driver-turned-pundit Martin Brundle has suggested Verstappen has a different approach to racing Norris compared to team-mate Oscar Piastri.

Steiner suggested a change in Norris' attitude when it comes to racing Verstappen would likely result in a collision, but suggested it may be necessary to establish a fresh marker.

“At some stage you will crash into Max,” he said. “But just get the confidence to do it. Don't always be influenced by what is happening about things you're not in control of.

“Freedom of speech, people can say what they want, they've always got the right to say something.

“But you don’t need to listen to it, you don’t need to care about it.

“Lando knows he's a good racer, he knows what to do. He's always just a little bit shy - he doesn't want to do anything which could be negative.

“He should [say] ‘this is how I want to race. This is how I think it's right to race. If he turns in on me and we crash, so be it.

“So [do] not get paranoid and say, I have to take him out to make my mark. Don’t do that.

“Do what you think you should be doing to race and if at some stage you crash once or twice, so be it.”