Ahead of the Canadian round, Lando Norris does not believe Max Verstappen will change his approach to racing after the F1 Spanish GP penalty leaves the Dutchman in danger of a race ban.
Verstappen received a 10-second time penalty after crashing into the Mercedes of George Russell in the closing stages of the Spanish GP.
In addition, the Stewards decided to add 3 points to the Red Bull driver’s license.
The reigning F1 Champion is now only a point short of a race ban.
Despite the imminent threat of a ban, Norris doesn’t think Verstappen will adjust his driving in the pursuit of his fifth F1 title.
Verstappen will only fight harder
Due to the penalty, which saw Verstappen finish the Spanish GP in P10, the Dutchman is now trailing Piastri by 49 points in the F1 Championship lead, which Norris (39 ahead of the four-time World Champion) believes will prompt the other to fight even harder.
On his end, Norris will not adapt his style.
“There’s no point trying to think of what to do that differently.
“It’s the same as normal, I think he’s still going to fight.
“He’s further behind in the points, if anything, he’s still going to fight more.
“So, no, there’s no point in trying to assume things or just guess because when you’re in the position of fighting on the track, you can’t just try and think: ‘oh, he’s going to give me more space, and then he doesn’t, and then something happens’.
“There’s no point assuming things or trying to think what other people are going to do.
“He’s still fighting for the championship.
“He still wants to try to win every race he can.
“But yeah, I’ll continue my thing.”
Verstappen’s approach is key to his success in F1
Norris, who himself has been engaged in several battles with the 4-time F1 Champion, thinks that Verstappen’s one-the-edge driving style largely contributed to his success.
“Max [Verstappen] is also one of the best in the world because of how he drives.
“I don’t think anyone can argue against that.
“I think it’s quite a simple statement,” Norris said in Thursday’s print media session ahead of the F1 Canadian GP.
The Briton conceded that Verstappen’s move against Russell went beyond the Red Bull star’s usual aggressive style.
Norris emphasizes that staying true to himself and his driving style are key factors in Verstappen’s successful F1 career.
“What he did last weekend was obviously a little different to probably what he normally does.
“It was not just a simple aggression, and good, strong, on-the-edge defensive moves.
“It was something, obviously, a little bit separate from that.
“No, I think Max is, he’s who he is, and he’s achieved what he has because of how he drives, so there is no reason for him to change that side.”
