Lando Norris Responds to Max Verstappen Incident Following Brutal Comment in Cooldown Room
The Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday witnessed a tense moment between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen as both drivers found themselves caught in an intense battle for position. As both exited the pit lane simultaneously, Verstappen’s Red Bull forced Norris onto the grass, triggering a frustrated response from the McLaren driver. Over the team radio, Norris was heard saying, “He forced me off,” while Verstappen, in a typical Verstappen fashion, countered by stating, “He drove himself onto the grass,” to his team.
The clash led to an exchange of banter in the cooldown room afterward, where Verstappen joked about Norris’s excursion onto the grass. The Red Bull driver quipped, “That’s quite an expensive lawnmower,” referring to Norris’s off-track moment. Norris, showing his characteristic good humor, responded by laughing it off, acknowledging the jest.
Despite the tense moments on track, Norris downplayed the incident, putting it down to the nature of racing. Reflecting on the situation, he said, “It’s racing, he was ahead, it kind of squeezed into one, and Max is the last guy I expect to give me any space, in a good way, in a racing way. Nothing more than that.” Norris also credited Verstappen’s flawless performance, admitting that Verstappen’s pace was simply too much for the McLaren duo to challenge on the day.
Max Verstappen claimed victory in Suzuka, marking his first win of the 2025 Formula 1 season and his fourth consecutive Japanese Grand Prix win. Despite McLaren’s competitive pace, Norris finished behind Verstappen, with teammate Oscar Piastri also trailing the Dutchman. Norris, however, retained his lead in the Drivers’ Championship, but the rivalry between the two drivers continues to heat up as the 2025 season progresses.
This incident is just the latest chapter in a growing rivalry between the two drivers, both on and off the track. As the season unfolds, the competition between McLaren and Red Bull looks set to intensify.
