The final act of the world championship battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris took place in Las Vegas, a challenge that has profoundly affected the 2024 season. Under the sparkling lights of the Nevada desert, Verstappen closed all discussions, becoming world champion for the fourth time and leaving Norris only the honor of a duel that was hard-fought but never truly balanced. A confrontation between friends, rivals and protagonists of a championship that has seen them cross paths often, but with clearly different destinies and possibilities.
A championship dominated by Max's supremacy
The 2024 season saw Max Verstappen confirm himself as the absolute master of Formula 1, even in a year in which Red Bull did not dominate as in previous years. The talent and determination of the Dutchman made the difference, allowing him to manage an advantage that, although eroding race after race, was never really called into question. Norris, on the other hand, obtained 3 victories in the championship and could have undoubtedly obtained more, however both he and McLaren wasted many, too many opportunities to seriously scare Verstappen. Furthermore, there was never a real plan at McLaren. Both drivers could have won the championship, having the same means. The decision was made to focus on Norris when it was already too late, and the consequences were seen.
A disparity that is also evident in Verstappen's words. The Dutchman in an interview after the Las Vegas GP spoke about the relationship that ties him to Norris. "I spent a lot of time with Lando in the past, when I was already winning and he wasn't," Verstappen said. "I always told him that his time would come. I told him: 'Follow the path, you have a good atmosphere in the team'. I also gladly invited him to become my teammate at the time. I told him: 'If you want to win, you can come here too'".
The proposal in Red Bull: an impossible dream?
Verstappen's words open a fascinating scenario, but also full of questions. Inviting Norris to join him at Red Bull might seem, at first glance, a gesture of generosity or a sign of respect for his friend's talent. However, the reality of the Austrian team tells a different story. From 2016 to today, anyone who has had the burden of working alongside Verstappen has experienced difficult moments, crushed by the pressure of dealing with a driver who leaves no room for uncertainty.
From Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly to Alex Albon, via Sergio Perez, the second seat at Red Bull has become synonymous with difficulty. Verstappen’s bulky and implacable figure makes it almost impossible to compete on equal terms, and the team structure is inevitably built around him. “If you want to win, you can come here too,” Max told Norris, but it’s a proposal that suggests the risk of being confined to a secondary role, precisely what Norris has always tried to avoid by staying loyal to McLaren.
A friendship under pressure
Despite the weight of the competition, the relationship between the two drivers seems to have held up. Verstappen he wanted to underline the respect that binds him to Norris: “We are friends, we are not best friends. It's not that I call him every day. We both have our respective best friends. But we are friends. I have a lot of respect for him”. A relationship made of mutual respect, but also of rivalry and tough confrontations, like those seen on the track in Austin and Mexico, where the tension reached very high levels.
Yet, it is precisely in this balance between respect and competition that the strength of their bond is measured. Verstappen recognizes Norris' talent and celebrates him, while knowing that their friendship will never interfere with the fight on the track. "Maybe this year not everything went right for him," Max added, "but that's part of the journey. You make mistakes, you learn from them."
A look into the future
With his fourth title now in the bag and a Red Bull increasingly built around him, Verstappen looks to the future with the awareness that he still has a lot to give. Norris, for his part, will continue to look for his chance with McLaren, driven by the desire to prove that he can win even without changing colors. Their story, made of battles on the track and shared moments off it, has not yet reached its conclusion. And who knows, perhaps one day destiny will put them side by side, as teammates or once again as rivals, to write new pages of a rivalry that has everything to become legendary.
Source statements: FormulaPassion
