Norris revisits Austria crash with Verstappen: "I probably won..."

"Max is probably the hardest guy to race on the track.  He’s probably one of the most aware in terms of situations. And helped by him being in this position for the last four or five years. For me, it’s still quite new," Norris began to The Athletic about the incident.

The Dutchman could lead the race confidently until his final stint at his team's home Grand Prix. After the Red Bull pit crew made a mistake and completed a slow stop, Norris began to cut the gap significantly and was pushing to overtake the defending world champion. The Briton tried repeatedly to get past Verstappen, but on Lap 63, the two made contact.

After both drivers had punctures, Norris had to retire from the Grand Prix, while Verstappen received a five-second penalty but could continue. "Things didn’t end the way I wanted them to, And I still feel like on that Sunday, I probably won the battle of … taking the fight to him, although I didn’t win who came out on top," Norris continued. Eventually, the Dutchman finished in fifth position that Sunday.

Norris declines he competes against Verstappen different

It is a well-known fact that the current rivals on track get along well in and outside of the paddock. "As soon as I put the helmet on, I hate everyone. That doesn’t change. A lot of people think because I get along with someone here, or because, I don’t know, just play on a (video) game with someone, that you’re just best mates in life, no matter what you do. That’s just nonsense."

"We do those things. We have similar interests. We play padel together, that kind of stuff. And I like Max as a guy, I think he’s a very genuine guy," the Briton continued about his friendship with the Red Bull driver.

"I think the people you actually get along with more out of the track are the people you want to beat more when you’re on the track, which is the opposite thought to what a lot of people have. They think because you’re mates there, you’re too nice on the track. I think it’s the complete opposite," Norris concluded firmly.

While McLaren could overtake Red Bull Racing in the constructors' standings already after the Azerbaijan GP, the gap between the two drivers currently stands at 52 points, in favour of Verstappen. Norris have six Grands Prix and three Sprints to defeat the Dutchman. If the McLaren manages to successfully tackle this challenge, he would become the eighth driver to win a drivers' title with the Woking-based team.

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