Max Verstappen told Lando Norris about an error that may have changed the F1 Australian Grand Prix result.
McLaren’s Norris kept Red Bull’s Verstappen to win in Melbourne at the season opener 2025.
Norris’s comfortable lead was cut into a nervy 0.6s for the last two laps with his old rival Verstappen behind him, but he did enough to win with 0.895s.
Norris and Verstappen then discussed a short moment in the Cooldown Room that the tide could have changed.
‘You had a big run on me when I was messing around [Turn] 6, “said Norris.
Verstappen replied: “Yes, to be honest you were alone [a small amount] To the left. It wasn’t even much. “
Norris seemed surprised: “Really?”
Verstappen said to Norris: “Yes, you were not really wide.”
Norris said, “You had Drs with Inters.”
Said Verstappen, referring to the run after the small fault of Norris: “I didn’t have that run.”
Norris said, “No, but then the next round.”
Verstappen said: “Yes, it was big. It was big. “
Max Verstappen defeated by Lando Norris at F1 Australian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen
Norris insured his fifth F1 Grand Prix victory in Australia and justified the hype around McLaren who entered the new season.
Expecting to have the fastest car, they only missed a two-two finish because Oscar Piaastri played in the wet conditions.
But Norris’s early victory is a reminder that he is an important threat to Verstappen’s hope for a fifth consecutive driver’s title.
Verstappen reflected: “It was a difficult race, but in the end it was fun.
“Lando had a small moment upon entering 6, so he lost a lot of momentum there and that’s why I got close and got the Drs.
“I came close, but it is very difficult to go around here.
“But it was nice the latter laps, at least push when you fight for the victory. But I am just very happy to bring it home, score good points, and this is a decent starting point for us. “
Verstappen said about the competitiveness of his RB21: “It was where I expected to be.
“You could see in the first stint that we missed a bit of pace compared to the McLaren, but it is still 18 points more than I had here last year, so I take that.”
After Piaastri’s turn, Verstappen remained on slick tires when most drivers for intermediates.
He explained: “[The McLarens] Went away and I think it was a panic ‘oh, I have to box’. So when they came in, I stayed away.
“The first round, frankly, I think it was good, but unfortunately it remained a bit more on the other side of the track and then we had to box.
“But I think that at the end of the day, even if we had to make a lap earlier, we would still have been P2 after that stop.
“I think it was worth the gamble. It was pretty tough with the smooth tires, but it was good at the end.”
McLaren has also given an early blow to Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship that they defend.
Piastri recovered in a P9 finish, while Red Bull’s new driver Liam Lawson was one of the six drivers to crash out of the Grand Prix.
