Max Verstappen applies to trademark his now iconic celebratory catchphrase "Simply Lovely": Reports

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has reportedly applied to trademark his celebratory catchphrase 'Simply Lovely'. The Dutch driver had recently launched his 'Simply Lovely' merchandise for the fans during the three-week break before the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.

The three-time world champion has been embroiled in a title fight against McLaren's Lando Norris with nine competitive races to go. However, a slightly surprising situation emerged during the Dutch Grand Prix a few months back when Norris used Verstappen's 'Simply Lovely' on the team radio after dominating the race in Zandvoort.

As per Autosport, Max Verstappen has not only launched his 'Simply Lovely' merchandise but also moved to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to trademark his catchphrase.

The body revealed that the application was lodged for the same on May 21, 2024, with the application being published on August 28. At the time of writing, there has been no opposition to the application.

Ahead of the Italian GP, Daniel Ricciardo had claimed that Max Verstappen won't be too pleased with Lando Norris using his catchphrase in Zandvoort and told F1.com:

“Lando, I think his confidence is growing the longer he spends time in the sport and the more success he has. Very confident to throw out a ‘simply lovely’ after the race.

"As much as [Max and Lando] are friends, I know how competitive Max is. He would not have taken that very nicely or too well, so we’ll see how he responds this weekend.” Ricciardo said.

Lando Norris gives his take on using Max Verstappen's catchphrase

McLaren driver Lando Norris stated that he did not intend to take a dig at Max Verstappen by using 'Simply Lovely' and did not mean anything by it.

Speaking with Sky Sports F1, the 24-year-old said (F1.com):

“Well, I mean, he’s won a lot of races and he’s done a lot of things. I don’t know – I’m not prepared for it, I don’t prepare myself for it, so it just felt like the easiest go-to. Honestly, it doesn’t mean anything to me from my side. I’m not trying to make a statement, I just want to go and win and go home!

"I don’t care about trying to make statements to try and do all of this. It just popped into my head, so I thought I’d say it. It’s a fun thing, I can’t think of those things – I’m not trying to have a dig or anything, like a lot of people want to come up with and headline with and all of that nonsense."

Lando Norris still trails Max Verstappen by 52 points with six races and three Sprints remaining in the 2024 season and would go into Austin full of confidence due to MCL38's advantage over its rivals.