Max Verstappen has suggested that he might buy Lando Norris ‘some glasses’ for his upcoming 25th birthday after the McLaren star shoved him onto the grass at the race start in the Spanish Grand Prix. The Brit insisted that he left the Red Bull driver enough room, much to the amusement of his rival.
Norris had pipped Verstappen to pole position on Saturday, edging out the Red Bull star despite him receiving help from team-mate Sergio Perez down the straights. However, when the lights went out on Sunday it was a different story, and it was the Dutchman who got the better launch.
With Verstappen pulling up alongside him, Norris jolted his car to the right to squeeze the three-time world champion on the run down to Turn One. His move was so extreme that his rival was forced to dip his right wheel onto the grass, kicking up dust for the cars behind.
Verstappen eventually gained the position, but the duo’s squabbling also allowed George Russell to scythe around the outside and take the lead from fourth on the grid. Eventually, the Red Bull driver won out by just a couple of seconds, and Norris was left rueing a missed opportunity at the start of the race.
During chats in the cooldown room and post-race press conference, Norris insisted that he had left Verstappen plenty of space. The 26-year-old, however, disagreed. “I think I know his birthday present already.” he joked. “So it’s either a big mirror or some glasses and we’ll be fine.”
While Verstappen was in a joking mood after securing his seventh Grand Prix victory of the season and his second in succession, Norris was kicking himself. The British racer moved up to second in the Drivers’ Championship standings with that result but lost ground to the leader.
“It wasn’t the best start but it wasn’t a bad start,” he told Sky Sports F1. “Nowadays when it’s so close. One or two metres makes the difference between winning a race or not winning. “A shame. Such a small margin cost us. It was a good race apart from that. From Turn Two onwards, it was pretty much perfect. Can’t complain but I lost too much at the beginning.”
However, all hope is not lost for McLaren and Norris. The paddock heads to Spielberg and then Silverstone in the next two weeks, and the 24-year-old has historically enjoyed great success at both venues. He will be expecting to eat into Verstappen’s 69-point lead when these two races get underway.
