Norris F1 defeats will continue unless he learns crucial Verstappen lesson

The US Grand Prix marked another flashpoint between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris and once again, it was the former who came out on top.

The Turn 12 incident in which Norris was forced wide before remerging ahead of Verstappen saw the Briton issued a five-second time penalty - and ultimately points to his main title rival.

Setting aside the rights and wrongs of the incident, the rules of engagement when coming up against Verstappen are different to most.

Austin was another example of Norris not yet grasping how to approach the circumstance.

Verstappen’s aggressive nature has been a consistent part of his driving style since his arrival in F1 almost 10 years ago.

The Dutchman boasts one of the most dramatic on-track personalities and has long been seen as one of the most unyielding drivers behind the wheel.

“It’s very likely you’re going to come together with Max if you don’t give him extra space, so most of the time you do,” said Lewis Hamilton in 2019, two years before their volatile title fight. “But in my experience, I didn’t have a lot of space to give him extra space,” he added, referring to an incident that occurred in Mexico that year. “But I don’t think it was intentional or anything like that. He’s a magnet for those kind of things.”

His techniques have long been understood and Verstappen has been part of the sport long enough for everyone to realise he is not about to change his ways.

The 27-year-old enjoyed a period of being largely unchallenged at the front of the field in 2022 and 2023 after driving with great hostility in his fight against Hamilton the year before.

But suggestions that his tough nature three years ago leaned on the prospect of it potentially being his only chance at an F1 title have dispersed, evident by his recent tactics against Norris.

Entering the US Grand Prix, Verstappen held a 53-point margin over Norris in the drivers’ championship as he inches closer to a fourth consecutive F1 title.

It’s a pretty safe margin for the Dutchman if things don’t go wrong for him. One element he doesn’t need is a non-finish.

And yet, he went aggressive against Norris, all for the protection of a third-place result and a three-point swing in the championship. His unrelenting driving, even when he is the competitor with everything to lose, proves he will always back himself to come out on top.

It has been the case throughout his association with F1, as Verstappen pushes the limit of what is acceptable with wheel-to-wheel combat, sparking conversations over what is deemed acceptable racing.

Verstappen is hard-wired to judge the only acceptable outcome is that he comes out on top in any given battle.

There is rarely any “think about the bigger picture” aspect with him. It creates enemies on the track, but strikes an element of second-guessing when it comes to combat that tips the scales in his favour.

Perhaps Norris will approach Verstappen in a different manner now he has almost a season of experience fighting the Dutchman for a championship under his belt.

Norris’ hopes of succeeding in the current F1 title fight look to be fading with Red Bull enjoying a stronger run of form last time out in the USA.

However, the form book remains up in the air for next year, when McLaren will aim to commence the campaign on par with or even besting Red Bull, which was one of its biggest downfalls in the drivers’ championship this season.

Norris will also have to consider the rise of team-mate Oscar Piastri whose evident growth this year will no doubt take another step in 2025.

But a quest to the title under the current set of technical regulations is unlikely to be navigated without Verstappen being a factor, meaning Norris will have to dig deep to solve a problem few have managed to answer -  how does one beat the unyielding force that is Verstappen in combat?

Whether it be by letting the three-time world champion trip over himself by overcommitting in defence or fighting back with a similarly aggressive nature, the pressure is firmly on Norris to deliver.