Lando Norris issues six-word warning to Max Verstappen ahead of new F1 season

Verstappen won his fourth consecutive F1 championship last season, wrapping up the title in Las Vegas with two races to spare. The Red Bull driver was thrust into adversity in the second half of the season as McLaren found pace, with Norris leading the charge.

However, Norris’ championship bid came undone through a number of lap one blunders, with Verstappen exploiting the gaps he left on track.

Now the Brit, 25, has issued a verbal challenge to Verstappen, and promises to be far tougher against his friend come the opening race in Australia.

Norris said: “I need to get my elbows out [against Verstappen] and show I am not willing to give him any positions. I also have to be a smart driver. You have to be smart to go up against Max.

“It is always a lot harder when you are in the car, rather than when you rewatch it, and when I saw some of the things I did last year, I was like, ‘what the hell have I done that for? And what an idiot.’ But at the same time, I don’t need to go out and prove something to him.

“I don’t need to take any unnecessary risks. I don’t think you have to do anything special to try and beat Max. He is quick, aggressive and one of the best ever but the easiest way of beating him is just by being quicker than him and staying ahead.”

Norris’ McLaren team started last season slowly before an upgrade at the fifth round in Miami radically reversed their fortunes and allowed the Briton to take his first win. By that stage, Norris was already 53 points behind Verstappen.

Norris attempted to claw back the deficit as Red Bull’s supremacy vanished and McLaren emerged with the best package on the grid. But his bid for the title ran out of steam following mistakes by both driver and team. The McLaren driver, who completed a number of laps during a rain-hit promotional filiming event at Silverstone on Thursday, added: “For the majority of races, we had a better car.

“I can happily admit that and there were times where I did not do a good enough job. I wasn’t at the level to race against Max at the beginning. But we are talking about going up against one of the hardest attacking-defence guys out there.

“I have to do better, and I don’t need to be told that. However, it will be a different mentality for Max if he is 50 points behind in the championship, versus being 50 ahead.”