Lando Norris unsure of how a title battle against 'close friend' Max Verstappen would turn out

Lando Norris recently talked about a title battle with his good friend Max Verstappen, which has turned out to be a strong possibility in the 2024 season. The McLaren driver is the closest to the defending world champion on the Drivers' table.

Since the 2024 F1 season began, Red Bull and Verstappen have started feeling the pressure from rival teams like Ferrari and McLaren. Verstappen's teammate, Sergio Perez has experienced a dip in performance and drivers from other teams, most notably Norris, have grabbed the opportunity to close the points gap for the championship.

Off the track, however, the two are good friends. They are frequently seen together on holidays and parties and have also played padel, golf and other sports together during their time away from F1.

Speaking to RacingNews365, Lando Norris admitted that he does not have any idea how his relationship with Max Verstappen will progress, especially because he has not been in a championship battle yet in his career. However, he added that despite being friends with him, he would not be lenient towards the Dutchman while racing.

"It's a situation that I don't know, and I've not been through before, I think it'd be very tough. But I still hope so (continuing as a contender) because as much as I want to win (sic), just because I'm good friends with Max didn't change anything that happened in Austria," Lando Norris said.

Norris pointed towards the 2024 F1 Austrian GP, where he had an intense wheel-to-wheel battle with the Red Bull star.

"I attempted several overtakes, didn't go to plan. We ended up crashing. None of this was because [I was] more lenient or less lenient, because we played padel two weeks prior. None of that changed. So, people just like to talk about it and use it as a topic."

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Lando Norris on continuing his off-track friendship with Max Verstappen despite their potential title battle

Lando Norris maintained that he will steer his on and off-track relationship with Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz in his own way, claiming that he will not be influenced by past rivalries and driver behaviors.

Norris and Verstappen at F1 Grand Prix of Hungary - Qualifying - Source: Getty

In the aforementioned interview, Norris explained that he simply wants to enjoy his time on the track and race at eye-watering speeds.

"I want to enjoy my time, in the paddock and away from the paddock. And if that is with Max or Carlos playing golf or whatever, so be it. It has absolutely zero relevance. But just because previous champions were the opposite, very happy for them. They did their thing, I'm doing my thing. As long as I'm happy for me and my life, that's what matters," Norris said.

As of now, Verstappen leads the Drivers' Championship with 277 points, while Norris in second place has 199 points.