Jos Verstappen Thinks Max-Lando Friendship Might Suffer More In Future
F1
Max Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen, shared his thoughts on the future of his son's friendship with Lando Norris.
Lando Norris and Max Verstappen have been friends for a long time, but the 2024 season put their relationship to the test as the two went head-to-head, competing for the drivers' title.
It is generally easier for F1 drivers to be friends when they don't meet on the track too often or when they aren't competing for podiums, wins, and championship titles, and that showed in 2024.
As Lando Norris started posing a threat, catching up with the four-time world champion in the championship standings, their battles became increasingly intense.
It was then challenging, especially for Norris, who doesn't have an aggressive driving style, to separate what happened on track from his friendship with Max Verstappen off the track.
Although he later retracted these statements, Norris's reaction to over-the-line battles with the Dutchman included saying that he "lost respect" for his friend. The two also didn't speak to each other for some time after the Mexico City Grand Prix, for example.
Ultimately, the two somehow managed to navigate through and remained friends even after the 2024 season, but going into 2025 and beyond, they might face many more situations like this.
Can Verstappen and the Norris remain friends? The four-time world champion's father, Jos Verstappen, shared his opinion in an interview with Formule1.nl:
"It's going to be more difficult, I think. Of course, for a long time, it was about the world title that was at stake."
"Max knows that's the case, he's also quite easy-going about it. He knows the dividing line between the mutual relationship off the track and on the track. He's very mature in that."
"If I look at my time in Formula 1: I didn't have any friends. At least not in a way that I kept in touch with them afterward. Not at all. I choose my friends myself."
"I do have the impression that most of the guys who are on the grid now get along well off the track. Most of them have known each other for a long time, from karting.
"There are about ten guys he has always karted with. So they are a bit closer to each other, but everyone has their own life and does their own thing.
"Only Max is a social guy off the track and is nice and normal to everyone. In my time, the relationships between drivers were quite different.
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