Brown delivers Verstappen warning: ‘Lando has learned’

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has delivered Max Verstappen a warning that Lando Norris “has learned” how to fight him.

With the exception of the Mexico City Grand Prix, Verstappen came out in top in every battle during the 2024 F1 season against Norris. 

Verstappen’s aggressive approach and ensuring that no driver passed him on the outside, consistently got the better of Norris. 

This was highlighted in Austria and in the United States Grand Prix; however, a very different approach was taken in Mexico City. 

By the Mexico City Grand Prix, Norris had learned how to fight Verstappen, by ensuring he was ahead at the apex. 

As a result of not yielding to the four-time world champion, Verstappen was, ultimately, heavily penalised. 

Norris’ approach to Verstappen is very different to Lewis Hamilton’s in 2021, where he initially gave the Dutchman too much space in Imola. 

Following that occasion and a first lap overtake by the Red Bull driver in Barcelona, Hamilton fought back using aggression himself. 

Famously, the two drivers went on to collide in Silverstone, Monza and in the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Brown recognises that Norris cannot afford to take the same approach as the seven-time world champion to fighting Verstappen, but expects his driver to be different next year.

“I think Lando has learned a lot on how to race Max,” Brown told select media including RacingNews365. 

“I think Max has been transparent on how he races, i.e. try and pass me on the outside, I’ve been trained to not let you pass me on the outside. 

“I think Lando put up a great fight in Mexico, but also kept them out of an accident, and we got the constructors’ going on. Lewis eventually went right, this might end in tears for both of us. 

“We can’t afford that lesson at this moment. So I think Lando has done the right thing, and I think he knows how to race Max, and I think he’ll race him differently next year.”