Lando Norris told the world he was “not afraid” of having Max Verstappen as his Red Bull teammate, but his actions, much to the dismay of some F1 fans, belie his words. Ta.
After Verstappen's two years of dominance, the prevailing argument in F1 is not that the sport lacks competition from other teams, but that it lacks competition. period. Even in the Red Bull vs. Red Bull rivalry.
The 2021 title battle between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton is often touted as the best the sport has seen in recent years, but the 2016 battle within Mercedes between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg was not far behind. It's no exaggeration to say that.
Will Lando Norris regret extending his contract with McLaren?
F1 fans don't want team versus team, they want driver versus driver, regardless of team. In fact, within a team it provides another dimension and challenge.
But unfortunately, Sergio Perez is no match for Verstappen, so he won't get it in 2024, and it's unlikely that we'll even get a promotion for Daniel Ricciardo in 2025…well, he won't get it in 2024. will find out his position at Red Bull.
But in Norris' case, it could have been a different story if he had stepped up.
Helmut Marko has said Perez is suitable, leading to speculation that Perez's Red Bull Racing seat could be his future as a Red Bull driver, having achieved 13 podiums on the F1 grid. It's been a big trend over the past few months.
And he re-signed with McLaren.
Norris has put pen to paper about extending his season beyond 2026, insisting his decision to move away from Verstappen was not a “scared or not scary” question, but rather a “smart” one.
“Is Max one of the best drivers in F1 history? Absolutely. I think he's proven that enough,” said the Briton.
“He's in a team that he's very comfortable with and a lot of things are built around him, so it's hard for anyone to compete against Max now, even if it's Max from a few years ago. is very difficult.
“Once you join the team, are you in a position to challenge someone right away?” And are you comfortable doing that? And I think that's a “no” for any driver. It takes time to adapt and it takes time to become established.
“And if you want to race against the best drivers in the world, that's not the best thing to do. It's not the smartest thing to do.”
But is it scary or wise?
Signing Verstappen's teammate to Red Bull is arguably the most difficult task on the F1 grid. Just ask Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez.
These are not mugs. In fact, these are all Grand Prix winners, but not Verstappen. And perhaps more importantly, they are not the Red Bull-backed Verstappen.
The Dutchman made a name for himself after joining the team during the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix weekend, and quickly became a favorite with the team after winning his debut race.
Verstappen is said to have a kind of father-son relationship with Helmut Marko, Red Bull's motorsport advisor who played an important role in Verstappen's leap into F1, and is said to have a father-son relationship with Helmut Marko, an Austrian who is one of the founders of Red Bull. He has a strong relationship with Verstappen.
No wonder, when his front wing collided with the rear between Verstappen and Ricciardo at the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, it was the Dutchman who publicly backed Marko, holding Ricciardo responsible for the accident.
It was just the first notable occasion where Pierre Gasly-denigrated Marko, Alex Albon and, more recently, Perez nailed their colors to Verstappen's mast.
So Norris' assessment that competing against the team's “best driver in the world” is “not the best thing to do” is not far from the truth.
Unfortunately, even though Norris says he's not scared, it suggests a lack of courage or confidence.
“I don't think it's a question of being scared or not scared. I don't think I'll ever be afraid to play against anyone,” he says as the ink on new contract with McLaren dries and rumors of Red Bull fade. Inside, he emphasized.
His words betray his actions.
In 2007, Lewis Hamilton took on current world champion Fernando Alonso in a McLaren, in 2016 Nico Rosberg took on Hamilton in a Mercedes, and in 2010 Sebastian Vettel came from behind to win over Mark Webber in a Red Bull. Jacques Villeneuve dethroned his Williams teammate. Damon Hill, 1997.
These are all legendary stories that unfolded on F1 tracks when the underdog within a team defeated the preferred driver.
It can and does happen. It takes courage, it takes confidence, and of course, it takes the gamble of signing a contract. Don't get me wrong, this is gambling. It's a big one.
Norris didn't do that. He even ruled out that possibility with a multi-year contract with McLaren.
Overall, the Briton's decision to re-sign with McLaren will not please neutral F1 fans.
Although this driver has not won a Grand Prix yet, he has achieved 13 podiums without P1, but as evidenced by his consecutive P2s, it is not the driver's fault, but McLaren and Red Bull. It's the fault of both cars.
He had more second-place finishes last season than Verstappen's teammate Perez, with six wins and four losses, all but one of which came second to Verstappen.
He has the grace and talent to take on the challenge, but all he needs is the right car. It's clear from looking at the scorecards for the 2021-22 season in 2023 that cars play the biggest role in a sport where the car versus driver debate rages on, but will cars be in a league of their own like the RB19? It's up to the team – the friends who will fight through it.
Norris is now betting that McLaren will offer him that car and that he doesn't need to beat Verstappen in a comparable Red Bull car to win the world title.
I hope in the coming years he doesn't regret that the latter was better…
Read next: The many milestones Max Verstappen can achieve in the F1 2024 season
