Verstappen faces fresh challenges with a new formidable competitor.
Champion Max Verstappen endured a tough race in Imola with both pain and pressure. Lando Norris pushed the world champion to the limit. Will Formula 1 witness a title showdown over 17 more laps?
Verstappen versus Norris. After a nail-biting encounter at Imola, F1 is now in the midst of a major rivalry. "These two highly-skilled drivers are like Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk in boxing," remarked Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, comparing drivers Verstappen and Norris to the boxing pair. The three-time world champion from the Netherlands and the English McLaren phenom would be considered middleweights and welterweights in the boxing ring, but on the track, they are giants.
It was appropriate that Verstappen and Norris also watched the Fury v Usyk fight on TV before the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. Norris mentioned that he fell into bed around 2 am and didn't get his regular 8 to 10 hours of sleep. Verstappen felt drained after his uncertain win in Italy.
A few painkillers, possibly
"I'm worn out from those bumps. My back, everything hurts, it was just so bumpy out there. I really felt my back after 20 laps," Verstappen said after his fifth win of the season. "I'm just looking forward to lying in bed, maybe taking a few painkillers and getting a massage."
A 0.725-second lead saw Verstappen struggle to the finish line just ahead of Norris in a dramatic final phase fraught with degrading tires and a fading battery. "I ran out of grip at some point and was sliding a lot. I could see that Lando was catching up," Verstappen recounted about the final stage where his driving skills saved him from the issues that arose.
Tires, battery, race control: Verstappen under extraordinary pressure
What made Verstappen's back-to-back triumphs in Imola, the first since Michael Schumacher in a Ferrari from 2002 to 2004, all the more impressive was that the Dutchman faced scrutiny from race stewards for exceeding the track limits four times due to his hardship. One more violation would have incurred a penalty, jeopardizing his 59th career victory. "Max's performance was outstanding - he was faultless," praised Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko.
Verstappen's long-standing win demonstrates that Red Bull's lead over opponents McLaren and Ferrari has diminished. This could provoke Norris, who unexpectedly won against Verstappen in Miami two weeks earlier to snag his first grand prix win.
Verstappen celebrates forgettable double
"Now we are at a point where we can safely say that we have achieved the same level as Ferrari and Red Bull," said Norris with satisfaction. Despite trailing Verstappen by 60 points in fourth place in the championship standings, Norris was content. Verstappen added a virtual racing feat to his list of successes. The world champion was also triumphant with three teammates in the virtual 24-hour race at the Nürburgring. Verstappen noted that he had never accomplished such a feat in one day before. "This is just fantastic. We've put in a lot of effort to pull it off."
In Spain, "AS" seemed amused by Verstappen's hobby: "Perhaps he is no longer content with one victory in F1 and seeks another incentive for the weekend. The next one could be a strange outfit, a noble social project, or caring for bees. Or maybe he'll switch teams to see how it goes."
United by victory in front of a screen, Verstappen and Norris had even triumphed together virtually. In 2019, they emerged triumphant in the virtual 24-hour race at Spa. Back then, Norris was fighting his first Formula 1 season, and Verstappen was still in Lewis Hamilton's shadow. Five years later, the last 17 laps of this fight will be thrilling. Without a doubt, the battle between Verstappen and Norris has the potential to become a fan favorite in the world of motorsport.
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Following their intense battle in Imola, Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris are set to continue their rivalry on the track. According to Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, the two drivers are like boxing legends Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, both considered formidable opponents in their respective fields.
In the midst of this intense competition, Verstappen remains cautious about the challenges ahead, mentioning that he wants to get a good night's sleep and possibly take some painkillers to ease the discomfort from his recent races.
Source: www.ntv.de
