Last season, Norris was Verstappen’s main competitor as the Dutch driver secured his fourth consecutive championship title. Their intense and sometimes controversial on-track encounters have raised questions about whether current F1 regulations effectively discourage aggressive driving.
“It’s a terrible relationship. We don’t get on anymore. It’s taken its toll,” deadpanned Verstappen as Norris chuckled next to him in a news conference on the second day of preseason testing.
“We had a fight the other day in a local pub,” Norris chimed in.
“We had to get escorted (out),” Verstappen added. “I always say, ‘You should have seen the other guy,’ but actually he still looks good.”
Reflecting on his experience from last year, Norris mentioned that he has gained valuable insights and plans to adopt a more assertive racing style when competing against Verstappen in the future.
“I know there are going to be tough battles and I’m sure some of them are not always going to end the way I want or hopefully Max wants but we’re racing drivers. We get along,” Norris said on Thursday.
“I know everyone tries to make their own points and say what’s correct and what’s not correct, but we respect each other a lot and we look forward to more racing on track.”
Given his impressive performance in the latter half of 2024, Norris is viewed as a strong contender to challenge Verstappen this season, having recorded the fastest time on the first day of preseason testing in Bahrain on Wednesday.