Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports
Topics: Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Formula 1
Ben McCrum
Formula One fans think that Max Verstappen has fired a brutal dig at Lando Norris and other rivals on the grid after winning the Brazilian Grand Prix.
On Sunday, Verstappen extended his lead atop the F1 drivers championship after he incredibly came back from 17th on the grid to win the Brazilian GP in Sao Paulo.
Championship rival Norris started the race in pole position, but a combination of poor weather conditions and strategy led to the Brit finishing the race in sixth.
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And after the race, as Verstappen relaxed in the now infamous cool-down room, fans are convinced the Dutch driver aimed a sly dig at Norris and his other F1 rivals.
While watching back clips from the race and speaking to Alpine pair Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, who finished second and third in the race respectively, Verstappen detailed how he managed to make it past almost the whole grid to win the race.
He said: "Here i just got stuck cause Charles is actually quite decent.”
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The comment seems to suggest that Verstappen feels that Leclerc was the only driver that he passed on his way up the grid that was actually a driver capable of competing with him and worthy of his respect.
This is particularly brutal when you consider some of the drivers he passed on his way to the win, such as former rival and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri.
The result extends Verstappen's lead atop the championship table to 62 points, meaning Norris will have to outscore the Dutchman by a massive 21 points per race weekend in order to win his first title.
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With just three Grand Prix and one sprint race remaining this season, it seems an almost completely insurmountable task for the Brit to achieve.
After the race, Verstappen confessed how difficult he had found the drama that saw four drivers fail to reach the finish line.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the three-time champion said: “My emotions today were a roller coaster. We stayed out of trouble, we made the right calls and we were flying.”