F1 champion Max Verstappen tells Lando Norris why he’s failing to keep up with Oscar Piastri in McLaren title race
MAX VERSTAPPEN has weighed in on the struggles of title rival Lando Norris compared to his McLaren team-mate so far this season.
The Brit was favourite to end Verstappen's four-year winning streak, but so far he has been pipped by the less experienced Oscar Piastri.
Norris, 25, won the first race of the year in Melbourne to underline why he was the bookies' top billing in the lightning quick MCL39.
But he has yet to take another Grand Prix victory since, with Piastri winning four of the last five rounds to move 16 points ahead in the standings.
And Verstappen has offered some words of wisdom for Norris ahead of this weekend's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The four-time world champ, 27, told "Honestly, I think both of them are very good.
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"Lando, I think, has the pace. It just hasn't really come out yet over a sustained period of time.
"But I think it's still going to be a tight championship for them. I don't know where I'm going to be.
"I'm just trying to maximise every result. At the end of the day, we can't rely on them to make mistakes. It has to come from us."
The Dutchman made it clear he thinks Norris, whom he beat to the title by 63 points last year, has to find more consistency.
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Verstappen is the only other driver to have managed a race win so far in 2025, coming at Suzuka's narrow track after qualifying on pole.
And the Red Bull star remains within touching distance with the McLarens, despite the obvious troubles with the RB21 this term.
The best driver of his generation has been more consistent, particularly in qualifying, than Norris - who has the quicker car.
After starting on pole, Verstappen failed to make it to the podium last time out at the Miami Grand Prix, after burning up his tyres in a pointless defensive battle with the McLarens.
Afterwards, Norris said: "He's fighting hard, but it's up to him to do that. He's ruining his own race. He's not racing very smart."
Verstappen, who seems to have softened after becoming a first-time dad this month, refused to respond to the Brit's jab.
Qualifying and pit strategy will be crucial again at Imola, as the more traditionally narrow track makes overtaking harder.
