Norris gives clarity on Verstappen friendship after F1 title battle

Lando Norris has asserted he remains good friends with Max Verstappen despite their flare-ups during the current F1 season.

Norris challenged Verstappen for the title as he closed the deficit in the mid-part of the campaign when Red Bull slipped back in the pecking order.

However, Verstappen was able to maintain enough of an advantage to clinch his fourth F1 title last time out in Las Vegas.

The duo have had a number of on-track instances this year - most prominently, their late-race crash in Austria that resulted in Norris' retirement.

Verstappen also went aggressive against Norris in the USA and Mexico and forced his rival wide on several occasions.

Despite the occurrences this year, Norris detailed the relationship between the duo remains unchanged.

“There were some tougher moments, but we're still good friends,” Norris told media including RacingNews365.

“We had a nice word with each other after the race last weekend [in Las Vegas].

“I still have a lot of respect for him and everything he's done. So from my side, it’s all good.”

Ferrari's uptick in form has allowed Charles Leclerc to get closer to Norris' runner-up spot in the standings, with the gap reading 21 points between the pair ahead of the final two rounds.

With the title now out of reach, Norris highlighted his goal of ensuring his finishes ahead of the Ferrari driver this season.

“It's better than third, but not as good as winning,” Norris said when asked how much he would like to finish P2. “I'll still do everything I can to finish second. 

“I still want to beat everything else so if I do that, I'll be happy.”