Max Verstappen has insisted that racing his “friend” Lando Norris to the F1 title this year resulted in different emotions compared to previous campaigns. Verstappen started the season in strong fashion but was put under pressure from McLaren and Norris midway through the campaign. Although Norris managed to close the gap, Verstappen's recent results saw him open up the deficit once again, resulting in championship success in Las Vegas last weekend. Verstappen's maiden title came in 2021 following a fierce fight against Lewis Hamilton before he dominated the following two campaigns. After Norris was forced to accept defeat in Las Vegas, Verstappen praised the 25-year-old's talent. “We have a lot of incredible young talent in the sport and Lando is definitely one of them,” Verstappen told media including RacingNews365 . “At times, he made it very difficult for me. We simply didn't have an answer in many races where they were just clearly faster. “So that made it difficult. But to win a championship, you need to be consistent. Sometimes you try to overperform. “It doesn't happen every weekend, but sometimes you can and that's what we did.”
Norris has won three grands prix so far this year, while team-mate Oscar Piastri has taken to the top step of the podium on two occasions. The multiple wins have placed McLaren in a strong position in the contructors' championship, a title it is looking to seal for the first time since 1998. Having fallen short in this year's drivers' title fight, Norris has been backed to have further battles against Verstappen in the future. “But of course, McLaren at the moment, they're extremely strong,” Verstappen added. “Lando, I know him for a long time already. “So also to race a friend of yours to the title is always a little bit different. But I think we have a lot of respect for each other. “I'm sure that we'll have many more battles to come.”
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