‘What an idiot’: Norris boils over the F1 feud and vows to get ‘elbows out’ amid shock Max Verstappen Jibe!

Lando Norris has warned Max Verstappen that he will use his “elbows out” as the McLaren driver attempts to dethrone the Formula One world champion, boldly declaring: “I don’t think you have to do anything special to try and beat Max.”

Norris, 25, fell short of winning his first championship last season, as Red Bull’s Verstappen held him off to win his fourth title in a row.

Norris and Verstappen clashed on the track several times as the Dutch driver maintained the championship lead he established after winning seven of the first ten races.

However, speaking at Thursday’s launch of the MCL39 at Silverstone, which he hopes will propel him to title glory, the British driver promised to toughen up.

“I need to get my elbows out (against Verstappen) and show I am not willing to give him any positions,” said the competitor. “I also need to be a good driver. Going up against Max requires a high level of intelligence.

“It is always more difficult when you are in the car 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 want to emphasize that I don’t need to go out and simply prove something to him.

“I don’t need to take any unnecessary risks, nor do I need to die trying. I just keep focusing on myself.

“I do not think you need to do anything special to beat Max.

“He’s quick, aggressive, and one of the best ever.”

“The simple solution is to go out and be a little faster than him and stay ahead. That is the obvious plan.

“You just need to be smart. That’s the answer to everything.

“You have to be smart and you have to position the car well and also think of the long game sometimes.”

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen will resume their rivalry in 2025, and it’s been a heated start.Source: Getty Images.

Norris’ McLaren team started slowly last season, but an upgrade at the sixth round in Miami dramatically improved their fortunes and allowed the Briton to win his first race. However, he still trailed Verstappen by 53 points.

Norris attempted to claw back the deficit as Red Bull’s dominance eroded, but his title bid fizzled due to mistakes by both driver and team.

Norris, who drove a few laps during a rain-soaked promotional filming event at Silverstone on Thursday, admitted McLaren had the better car for the majority of the 2024 season.

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

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen will renew their rivalry in 2025 — and it’s been a spicy start.
Source: Getty Images

Despite missing out on the driver’s title, Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri led McLaren to their first constructors’ championship since 1998.

Bookmakers have installed Norris as the favourite to win the title heading into the season’s first race, the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 16.

“I like that I have that pressure on my back but I am not feeling it,” Norris explained. “I hope I can go out and make them some money.”

Piastri, who finished fourth in the 2024 drivers’ standings, said he was “excited for the room for growth after two seasons in the sport”.

He went on: “As a team, we can take great momentum into 2025 after such a brilliant year in 2024.”

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said it was too early to predict how their new MCL39 car would perform against rival teams, but he was optimistic.

“We believe we have made further steps forward since the championship-winning MCL38 but we won’t know where we sit in the standings until we get into qualifying in Australia,” he told me.

Pre-season testing takes place in Bahrain from February 26 to 28.