Lando Norris knows he’ll need to shake things up to have any shot at beating Max Verstappen in 2025. The McLaren star admits he’s got to stop Verstappen from using his famous “sacrifice plays” – moves that helped the Red Bull champion dominate in 2024.
“I wasn’t quite where I needed to be to race against Max,” Norris told Sky Sports, thinking back on last season’s battles. “We’re talking about probably the toughest defender and attacker out there.”
The Mexico race really opened his eyes. That’s where Verstappen showed just how far he’d go to win, willingly risking his own race for the bigger picture.
It’s a tough situation when you’re chasing from behind, Norris explains. Being 40 or 50 points back against a driver who’s willing to crash both cars? That’s nearly impossible to overcome.
So what’s the game plan for 2025?
“I just need more points from the beginning,” says Norris. He wants to flip the script and put Verstappen in the chaser’s position for once.
Last year’s aggressive moves at Mexico and the Red Bull Ring proved costly for Norris. When both drivers crashed out, it actually helped Verstappen protect his lead.
But Norris isn’t overthinking the challenge of racing against one of F1’s all-time greats.
“You don’t have to do anything special to beat Max,” says last year’s championship runner-up. “He’s quick, he’s aggressive – but the simple answer is just being faster and staying ahead. You’ve just got to be smart about it.”
The real question is: Can Norris turn these lessons into real results when the 2025 season kicks off?
