Verstappen’s only job is to beat me, not win races

Lando Norris accepted that Max Verstappen’s sole job for the rest of the 2024 Formula 1 season is to beat him in races, and that his own role is to return the favour without being “over-ambitious”. 

Red Bull found greater performance in the United States Grand Prix thanks to a floor upgrade, which helped Verstappen to victory in the Austin sprint race – his first race win in F1 since the Spanish GP in June.

Following Norris’ five-second penalty for passing Verstappen off the road at Turn 12, the Dutchman was again classified above the Briton to ensure he extended his championship lead to 57 points.

Norris said that Verstappen has placed much less importance on victories and has now focused on simply beating whatever he does, which might require “little changes” to the McLaren driver’s manner on track.

“We saw Max didn’t care if he won or was second or third, his only job was to beat me and he did that – so he did a good job from that side,” Norris explained.

“I had a lot of fun and I respected the battle that we had. He still ended up on top and I need to be beating him. So some little things I need to change but I don’t need to change my whole approach.

“I am still staying clear and avoiding collisions which a lot of things that we have done could have been or turned into worse things like bigger crashes. I avoid them and therefore races could’ve ended earlier than they have.

“Getting caught up in collisions like Turn 1 or Turn 12 could’ve easily been that he’s in a much more powerful position than I’m in, so it’s up to me and the team to try to overcome that.”

Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Norris suggested that it was “too easy” to suggest that he should have awarded the place back to Verstappen, explaining that he might not have had another chance to pass owing to the condition of his tyres.

He added that the team supported his point of view over the incident at Austin, stating that he was simply doing what he felt was best at the time.
 
“It is too easy for people to say this [give the place back]. My tyres were getting hotter and hotter and getting away from me more and more,” he said.

“My pace difference to Max was decreasing, so if I let him back past there might not have been a chance to get past him again. 

“I am always just trying to do what I think is best at the time and within the rules which I believe to be correct. Sometimes it is difficult, hence why I asked the team ‘what do you guys think?’. 

“Ideally the stewards would say ‘we don’t think this is right, give the position back,’ that would be a much more simple thing to do, but that’s not how it works. 

“I believed I was in the right, and I asked the team for confirmation and they believed we were in the right. Therefore I’ve continued. 

“I think we are doing a good job as a team; I think our approach is correct, but sometimes you don’t come up on top.”