Red Bull director Helmut Marko has not shied away from publicly criticizing Lando Norris during his title battle with Max Verstappen. Inevitably, this has angered some of his counterparts at McLaren.
Spoke last month Marko said that Norris had “certain weaknesses.” in his mental state that prevented him from beating Verstappen. This is the 24-year-old’s first season with a race-winning car.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown hit back at Marko for these comments, calling them “inappropriate.” The Red Bull The man said Brown had twisted his words to “cause trouble.”
Photo by Clive Rose – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
After Verstappen’s extraordinary victory in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, all he has to do is finish ahead Norris in Las Vegas to guarantee the title. If that doesn’t work, 24 points from the last three races would be enough.
Norris may have had the fastest car since his first F1 victory in Miami. But he has only won two races, despite taking seven poles.
Damon Hill responds to Helmut Marko who claims that Lewis Hamilton would become champion in Lando Norris’ car
Speaking after the United States Grand Prix last month: Marko claimed Lewis Hamilton ‘would easily win the championship’ in the MCL38, so Red Bull was ‘very lucky’. This was clearly an implicit dig at Norris.
It came after the McLaren man finished fourth in Austin after trying to overtake Verstappen for third place, but left the track and was given a controversial penalty. Formula Planet relied on Marko’s comments Instagramand 1996 world champion Damon Hill offered his response.
‘Oh Helmut,’ he wrote with his story. ‘You’re really terrible. But I like you.”
Hamilton is a seven-time world champion and Marko will vividly remember his epic, season-long title battle with Verstappen in 2021. However, the 39-year-old has struggled in 2024, slipping under Mercedes team-mate George Russell after bottoming out in the race. Brazil.
Eddie Jordan explains what Lando Norris ‘doesn’t have’ to beat Max Verstappen
Hill’s Sky Sports F1 colleague Martin Brundle disagreed with Marko’s assessment of Norris. He dismissed it as ‘typical one-upmanship in the F1 paddock’.
Brundle also pointed out that Hamilton hasn’t necessarily done ‘anything’ this year to suggest he could have beaten Verstappen. Norris is on the verge of emulating his compatriot this year by finishing second in the standings despite having a faster car than the champion, at least based on the teams’ standings.
Former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan says Lando Norris ‘doesn’t have’ what it takes to win the title in its current form. Although he is fast enough, his starts and his defensive driving in the first lap are not at the required level.
Jordan told Norris to “look long and hard at himself” this coming winter and confront these weaknesses. He will have a much stronger chance of the title if, as expected, McLaren starts the year at the same level as Red Bull, or even ahead.
Related posts