Massa Picks Verstappen Over Norris Without Hesitation: 'Clearly Number One'

Wednesday, 20 November 2024 at 10:00

Former F1 driver Felipe Massa explained why he thinks Max Verstappen is, at the moment, clearly better than his Championship rival Lando Norris.

Former F1 driver Felipe Massa compared 2024 Drivers' Championship rivals Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, who had a couple of very hard and tense battles on track.

Typically, the Red Bull Racing F1 driver was the one who drove more aggressively and pushed the boundaries of the regulations much more than the 24-year-old.

In Austria, when the two collided, Verstappen benefited as Norris didn't finish the race. In Austin, the triple World Champion benefited again as he pushed his rival into an error - making an overtake off the track.

However, in Mexico City, the Dutchman paid the price as he went beyond the edge of what was allowed, and he received a 20-second penalty.

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Comparing the two Championship rivals for Formule1.nl, former F1 driver and 11-time Grand Prix winner Felipe Massa said:

"Max is a complete driver. He has everything in terms of speed and mentality. He is a huge fighter. For him, everything revolves around racing, everything else doesn't interest him."

"Max drives aggressively, on the limit, and sometimes a bit over it. Lando has less of that. For me, Max is clearly number one. I personally like his mentality."

Moreover, Massa suggested that if he had Max Verstappen's mentality, he might have achieved more in his Formula 1 career between 2002 and 2017.

The Brazilian driver missed out on the Drivers' title by one point in 2008. Could a different mindset help him score one or two more points to win that title? While there is no way of finding out, Massa is convinced he would have come further.

"I think I would have come further in my own career if I had had more of Max's mentality. I was sometimes too nice, too kind. I was maybe more like Lando."