Verstappen Reveals How He Turned Dig From Norris Into 'Compliment'
F1
Max Verstappen shared what he thought about the dig from Lando Norris, who used his winning catchphrase after finishing ahead of him at the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix.
Lando Norris won the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix, destroying all his competitors, including Max Verstappen, and finishing more than 20 seconds ahead of everyone.
That was a bit tough for the Red Bull Racing driver, as he really wanted to win in front of his home crowd, but then Norris did something that could upset him even more.
The 24-year-old used Verstappen's winning catchphrase "simply lovely" right after crossing the finish line, and it hasn't gone unnoticed.
While some F1 fans on social media thought it was funny, others saw it as an unnecessary and arrogant dig at Lando Norris.
His rival, Max Verstappen, hasn't really shared what he thought about it until after the end of the 2024 season, which he won at the 22nd round in Las Vegas.
Speaking to ViaPlay in a post-season interview, the Dutchman was asked what he thought about Norris's "simply lovely" quip, and he replied:
"You have to see that as a compliment. If others start copying you, it's a compliment. I think they were very focused on beating me at Zandvoort to make a statement and throw me off mentally."
"But I don't care about things like that. I was just disappointed we came up short in the race. Of course, I would have liked to win in Zandvoort, but mentally, it doesn't affect me."
"Even a quote like that doesn't bother me. It's fine, just let it go, I'm already focused on the next race. You have to stay unemotional about it; if you let those things get to you, you'll start making mistakes."
Verstappen has really stayed focused and made no mistakes. He returned the blow to his McLaren rival with an incredible victory in Sao Paulo, where he won more than 30 seconds ahead of him despite starting from P17.
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