Ralf Schumacher has questioned whether a friendship still
exists between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris after two tension-fraught races
in Austin and Mexico.
Although it was all Verstappen at the start of this
season, the Dutchman racing to seven wins in 10 Grands Prix, Norris began to
peg him back as McLaren nailed their in-season upgrades.
Separate flights? Ralf Schumacher reckons Max and Lando
have fallen out
The MCL38 emerged as the fastest car on the grid and
Norris as a championship contender, taking points out of Verstappen’s lead in
Italy, Azerbaijan and Singapore.
Norris reduced his deficit to 52 points with the victory
at the Singapore Grand Prix, and it was all to play for at the United States
Grand Prix.
But having been pushed off the track at Turn 1 on the
opening lap by Verstappen, Norris wasn’t willing to let it go the second time
that happened and, attacking the Red Bull driver for position on lap 52, was
again pushed wide. This time he kept his foot in and stayed ahead of his title
rival as they rejoined only to be penalised as the stewards ruled the apex was
Verstappen’s.
A week later they were back at it in Mexico, Verstappen
again using the run-off to defend as he forced Norris wide at Turn 4 on lap 10
and then again at Turn 7. Both incidents earned Verstappen 10-second penalties.
Unlike their Austria incident, this time there were no
clear-the-air talks on the Monday morning between the friends.
“I still have a lot of respect for Max and everything he
does, not respect for what he did last weekend, but respect for him as a
person, also what he’s achieved,” Norris said in the build-up to the Brazilian
GP.
“But it’s not for me to speak to him. I’m not his teacher,
I’m not his mentor or anything like that. Max knows what he has to do. He knows
that he did wrong, deep down he does.”
Verstappen confirmed they hadn’t spoken since Mexico, but
insisted what happens on the track has nothing to do with being friends or
enemies.
“We both understand we’re fighting for the championship;
we’re not going for a lap around the church,” he said. “We always told each
other we need to race each other hard, so not much has changed in that regard.
“You know what it is? Everyone on the circuit knows that
even if you’re the best friends, if you’re fighting for the championship you
are both going to go for it.
“You can either be best friends or hate each other, but what
you do on the circuit stays the same.”
But while there were smiles and handshakes after the Sprint
race in Brazil while Norris also congratulated Verstappen on his Grand Prix win
a day later, Ralf Schumacher does not believe their friendship has survived
this title bout.
“I was surprised because they didn’t fly together in the
last few races, which was usually the case,” Schumacher told Formel1.de YouTube
channel.
“I’m not even sure whether the friendship still exists.”
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