Norris: Verstappen will ‘sacrifice’ F1 races to beat me

Lando Norris has asserted that Max Verstappen is willing to “sacrifice” his own races if it means out-scoring his closest title rival.

Norris currently sits 47 points down on Verstappen with four rounds remaining in the current season.

The duo have come to blows at recent races while in wheel-to-wheel combat – in the USA, Norris was deemed to have overtaken Verstappen off the track when being forced wide and was handed a time penalty.

Verstappen was then issued two 10-second time penalties last time out in Mexico for two separate incidents that involved running the McLaren driver wide.

“I don’t think I need to say much, I think it’s pretty self-explanatory on what happened,” Norris told media including RacingNews365 after the race.

“I did everything I’ve been told in terms of what the rules are and the guidelines and all of this stuff, yet it just wasn’t to be. He got some penalties for that. 

“I go into every race expecting a tough battle with Max. It’s clear that it doesn’t matter if he wins or second, his only job is to beat me in the race. 

“He’ll sacrifice himself to do that, like he did [in Mexico].”

Norris calls for ‘fair’ Verstappen battles

Verstappen’s duo of penalties saw him drop down the order during his pit stop, before he climbed back to sixth place, matching his worst on-track result of the campaign.

Norris voiced his desire to enjoy fairer battles with the Dutchman but asserted he deserved to be punished for his aggressive manoeuvres.

“I want to have good battles with him,” he added. 

“I want to have those tough battles like I’ve seen him have plenty of times, but fair ones. 

“It’s always going to be on the line. It’s always going to be tough with Max. He’s never going to make anyone’s life easy, especially mine at this point of the year.

“But it was not fair, clean racing. And therefore, I think he got what he had coming to him.”