Lando Norris just proved why he’ll always be in Max Verstappen’s shadow with ‘very tough’ admission

Red Bull racer Max Verstappen heads to the Canadian Grand Prix knowing he is one penalty point from a race ban after driving into George Russell in the F1 Spanish GP.

The 27-year-old once again showed his petulant nature when things are not going his way in Montmelo. Verstappen failed to control his emotions upon feeling wronged by his own team when Red Bull incorrectly told the Dutchman to yield fourth place to Russell in the final laps.

Red Bull sought to play it safe in fear of Verstappen taking a penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage after using the Turn 1 run-off area after contact with Russell. Yet he did not have to yield the spot, so Verstappen drove into Russell on Lap 64/66 of the Spanish GP.

Verstappen got a 10-second time penalty and three penalty points for the crash, which took the four-time reigning champion to 11 for his current rolling 12-month period. Red Bull fear Verstappen will earn a race ban for the Austrian GP, after which he loses two penalty points.

Lando Norris thinks Max Verstappen has never done anything ‘untoward’ against him

Lando Norris knows exactly what it is like to race against Verstappen when the Red Bull pilot has a rush of blood to his head like his incident with Mercedes ace Russell in the Spanish GP. Verstappen drew four of his 11 penalty points after incidents with the McLaren man in 2024.

Yet, while Verstappen crashed into Norris in the 2024 Austrian GP which forced the latter to retire, the Briton does not feel the Dutchman has ever done ‘anything’ unfitting against him. Instead, Norris thinks Verstappen makes his life ‘very tough’ and has every reason to do so.

READ MORE: How many penalty points every 2025 F1 driver has, including Max Verstappen

“I don’t think he’s done anything untoward towards me,” Norris told BBC Sport. “He’s raced against me very, very toughly, as he has the right to do. He’s made my life very, very tough at times. And he has the right to do that.

“I’ve said it many times, I have a lot of respect for Max. The driver he is, the person he is, what he stands for all of the time and what he’s achieved, his four world championships. That’s four more than me, and he’s had a lot more race wins than me.

“I admire those stats, those performances. But at the same time, everyone does what they believe is best. Everyone does what they believe is right and they race for themselves. Some may be more aggressive than others.

“But everyone has flaws. I have them, maybe he has them. I race in the aggressive way I believe is correct, and he does the same. The stewards are the ones who decide what is right and wrong.”

Lando Norris will live in Max Verstappen’s shadow by always believing the Red Bull racer is in the right

Verstappen crashing into Norris in the 2024 Austrian GP drew two penalty points, which are the first two he will lose of his current 11 on June 30. He will not lose any more until the two penalty points given after Verstappen forced Norris off the track in the 2024 Mexico City GP.

The Red Bull driver’s petulant actions against the McLaren man in last year’s Mexico City GP incidents were also very similar to Verstappen’s pitiable decision to drive into Russell during the 2025 Spanish GP. Yet Norris sings his praises and says Verstappen was within his rights.

Until Norris puts his friendship with Verstappen outside of the circuit to one side and takes issue with the Dutchman’s driving on the track consistently, the 25-year-old will always live in his shadow. Their incidents in Mexico in the 2024 F1 season should have taught him that.

Instead, the signs that Norris still lives in Verstappen’s shadow were on display in the 2024 Mexico City GP as the Briton sat behind the Dutchman after being forced off the road twice, knowing he faced two 10-second penalties. It cost Norris the win by 4.705s to Carlos Sainz.