Lando Norris hit back at Max Verstappen’s dig that he would “easily” have won the world championship for McLaren by claiming there are things his rival “doesn’t have much of a clue about”.
On the eve of the penultimate round of the season in Qatar, Red Bull’s Verstappen threw shade at Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri when he said the title battle would be over if he was driving their car.
Piastri won Saturday’s sprint race from pole position to reduce Norris’s championship advantage from 24 points to 22. Norris finished third, a place ahead of Verstappen, who is now 25 points adrift of the British driver.
Norris will secure his first world title on Sunday if he outscores Piastri by four points and finishes ahead of Verstappen in any position.
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Responding to Verstappen’s jibe, Norris said: “Max is very welcome to say everything he wants. He has kind of earned the right because he has won four world championships.
“I have a lot of respect, and he has achieved an incredible amount – more than anyone could dream of achieving – and that gives anyone credit.
“He generally has a good clue about a lot of things, but there is also a lot of things he doesn’t have much of a clue about.
“But it is also Red Bull’s way of going about things, an aggressive nature and just talking nonsense a lot of the time.
“It depends if you want to listen to it and talk about it he like he would love you to do, or do what we do as a team which is keeping our heads down and stay focused.
“Maybe he would have done [won the title easily] but he hasn’t done so far.”
A mistake by Norris in the final metres of qualifying on Friday allowed Piastri to take pole for the sprint.
And the Australian navigated the start before delivering a composed performance to claim his first win of any sort since the Dutch Grand Prix on the final day of August and boost to his slender title hopes.
Norris started third and came within inches of a tangle with George Russell on the run down to the opening corner. Further back, Verstappen was on the move.
He launched his car underneath Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin at the first turn and then cruised ahead of Yuki Tsunoda with his Red Bull team-mate affording him a free pass.
Norris’s papaya mirrors were occupied by Verstappen, and, at the start of lap three, the four-time world champion jinked to his right in the braking zone of the first turn. Verstappen was too far back and only moving to put the frighteners on his rival. It did not work.
Verstappen was then on the radio complaining about the handling of his Red Bull machine before Norris soon pulled out of DRS range by extending his advantage over the man he is looking to dethrone as champion by more than one second.
In a race of little drama, Piastri crossed the line 4.9 seconds clear of Russell with Norris 1.3 seconds further back. Verstappen was nine seconds behind Piastri.
Qualifying for Sunday’s main event takes place at 9pm local time (6pm Irish time).
