Lando Norris faces backlash from fans for sidestepping a Red Bull opportunity alongside Max Verstappen and extending his contract with McLaren

Fans have criticized Lando Norris for extending his McLaren contract and sidestepping an opportunity to compete against three-time world champion Max Verstappen in the same car at Red Bull.

The British driver recently announced that he will be continuing with the Woking-based team in the near future after he extended his current contract with the team. He was the hottest property in the sport last season, impressing everyone with his performances - which included six podiums.

However, the news of his new contract irked a few fans, who took to social media to vent their frustration. One fan claimed that Lando Norris was afraid of facing Verstappen in the same car, tweeting:

"Scared to face him in the same car, we get it,"

Here are some more reactions:

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Lando Norris chimes on the Max Verstappen challenge at Red Bull

Lando Norris has said that although he isn't afraid of going up against anyone in F1, Max Verstappen is in a very comfortable position at Red Bull, which will be a disadvantage for anyone who is his teammate.

Speaking with Sky Sports, the Brit pointed out that it would be difficult for anyone to challenge the Dutch driver instantly. He said:

"He's in a team that he's very comfortable in, a lot of things are built up around him, so for anyone, even a Max of a few years ago, to go in against the Max of now is extremely difficult.

"So I don't think it's a question of 'are you scared or not scared?' I don't think I'd ever be scared of going against anyone, but even if you enter a team are you in a position to challenge someone straight away and are comfortable to do that?

Lando Norris added:

"I think it's a no for any driver. It takes time to adapt and it takes time to get into place and if you want to go against the best driver in the world it's not the best thing to do. It's not a smart move to do. But I would love to race against Max, I've enjoyed some of the battles that we're had, and looking even more forward to the battles we're going to have this year."

Lando Norris and the Papaya fans will hope that the British driver won't need to partner with Max Verstappen to challenge him on track and can do it with McLaren in the upcoming seasons.