Max Verstappen says he expects to have “many extra battles” with F1 rival and good friend Lando Norris.
The Crimson Bull driver completed fifth, one place forward of Norris, on the Las Vegas Grand Prix to clinch his fourth consecutive world championship with two races remaining this season.
Verstappen ended the race with an unassailable 63-point lead over Norris, who emerged because the Dutchman’s nearest challenger all year long.
“Now we have a variety of unbelievable younger expertise within the sport and Lando is unquestionably certainly one of them. And naturally, at occasions, he made it very troublesome for me,” Verstappen mentioned.
“We merely did not have a solution in lots of races the place they have been simply clearly quicker. In order that made it, after all, troublesome.
“However to win a championship, you might want to be constant. Typically you attempt to overperform. It does not occur each weekend, however generally you’ll be able to. And that is what we did.
“However after all, McLaren in the mean time, , they’re extraordinarily sturdy. And naturally, , Lando, I do know him, after all, for a very long time already. So additionally to race a good friend of yours to the title is at all times slightly bit completely different.
“However I believe we now have a variety of respect for one another. And yeah, properly, I am positive that we’ll have many extra battles to come back.”
Requested if there was ever a degree he felt Norris had a greater probability of profitable the title, Verstappen replied: “I’d say from Miami onwards, more often than not we weren’t the quickest anymore. And Miami continues to be very early on within the season.
“So, , 50 factors, 60 factors, they’ll very simply be overturned for those who hold maximising outcomes and never do something loopy. So, I imply, I’ve skilled that myself, being 30, 40 factors down. I believe in ‘22.
“Something is feasible, so I had that at all times at the back of my thoughts, however on the similar time, it is simply concentrate on what I might management throughout the workforce and simply give it all the pieces each single weekend.”
Verstappen mentioned he expects subsequent season to be “a correct battle between a variety of automobiles, however I’m hungry”.
