Double World Champion Max Verstappen has opened up on what Lando Norris is really like as a person, with the McLaren driver being the Dutchman’s “best friend of the grid”.
Verstappen’s and Norris’ friendship is well documented, with the duo often being spotted partying together in Monte-Carlo or mixing it up in the DJ booth.
Their friendship truly blossomed when Norris made his way into Formula 1 in 2019, with the pair having never raced each other prior to that.
Similar to Verstappen, Norris shot onto the F1 scene, with the 23-year-old having quickly asserted himself as McLaren’s number one driver.
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Whilst Verstappen and Norris never raced against each other, Verstappen did watch the McLaren driver during his karting days, with the Red Bull driver having noted that Norris was “always up at the front”.
When given a good enough car in F1, Norris is typically seen towards the front, highlighting his talent.
“I get on really well with Lando because he is just himself and normal. He is my best friend on the grid,” Verstappen told the Daily Mail.
“He loves what he is doing. I could see clearly from years ago in go-karting that he was very quick — though we never raced against each other. Everything just came to him really naturally as a driver.
“Good performances were not just one-offs or hit and miss; he was always up at the front. So it was clear he was always going to be here. Some people are quick but don’t know why or how to explain it.”
Norris’ time in F1 hasn’t been completely smooth-sailing to-date, with the Brit having recently opened up on his mental health struggles when he forced made the switch from Formula 2 to F1.
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Verstappen added how Norris has “grown as a person” every season he’s competed in F1 and now has “more confidence in himself”, having previously been “overwhelmed” by the pinnacle of motorsport.
“Lando knows what he is doing, and that is good for McLaren,” he added.
“When he first joined Formula One he was a bit overwhelmed. Lando can be a little shy but he is a super nice guy and you can see, from year one to now, how he has grown as a person — and that helps his performance because he has more confidence in himself.”