Verstappen rival must avoid KEY mistake in championship ‘test’

An F1 pundit has identified the biggest mistake Lando Norris can make against his rival Max Verstappen.

The British star has been snapping at the heels of Verstappen since his maiden victory at the Miami Grand Prix, their rivalry coming to a head in Austria earlier this season.

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Battling for the lead in Spielberg, the pair were involved in a dramatic collision which caused Norris to retire with Verstappen finishing P5.

Despite the incident, the two insisted they remain friends, with Norris revealing he does not need the Dutchman to apologise for the incident.

Verstappen and Norris cannot be friends

The Mirror's senior F1 reporter, Daniel Moxon, has argued Norris’ friendship with the champion could hinder him as a competitor.

“Lando Norris insists he and Max Verstappen remain good mates despite their clash in Austria,” Moxon wrote in his column.

“Norris has been piling the pressure on his rival for a couple of months now and it was inevitable that they would clash at some point - Verstappen has a track record.

“It's got everyone in the paddock debating whether or not it's possible to be friends with your championship rival. Whatever is the answer to that, what Norris can't afford to do is see his Red Bull rival as a mate after he pulls down his visor.

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“Even with Red Bull not as dominant as they were, the Dutchman continues to do the business and you have to be perfect to beat him. Norris has learned that in recent weeks - small mistakes cost him in Canada and Spain.

“Going up against Verstappen is the biggest test of the Briton's title credentials and he'll fail it if he can't see that the Red Bull racer is his enemy, not his friend, in the F1 world.”

Norris appeared to be back in contention for the win at Silverstone last weekend but conceded to Verstappen with the rivals finishing P2 and P3 behind the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton.

The two will battle it out on track yet again at the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 21.

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