Verstappen’s GT3 win easier without title pressure

Sep.30 (GMM) Lando Norris says he respects Max Verstappen’s successful GT3 debut at the Nurburgring – but suggested his rival only has the freedom to do so because he is no longer in contention for the Formula 1 title.

Verstappen thrilled fans last weekend by winning his first Nurburgring Endurance Series race in a Ferrari 296 GT3. Asked if he might also race outside F1, McLaren’s Norris admitted he would “love to,” pointing in particular to Le Mans.

“I won’t be in Formula 1 forever,” the McLaren driver, 44 points ahead of third-placed Verstappen in the drivers’ standings, is quoted as saying by TZ.

“I want to do other things and live my life – try other things,” the Briton added.

He already has sports car experience, having competed at Daytona in 2018 alongside Fernando Alonso.

But Norris ruled out combining F1 with endurance racing for now. “I will enjoy my time in Formula 1,” he said. “Whether it will eventually be a mix where I also drive some of the other races, I don’t know. Or maybe when I retire from Formula 1, I’ll try other things.”

Still, Norris couldn’t resist drawing a comparison with Verstappen, who by winning from pole both at Monza and Baku is keeping himself in faint contention for a fifth consecutive drivers’ title.

“I respect Max for doing things like that (but) he’s in a much easier position to do those things,” he said.

“If he were fighting for a championship and doing things like that, it probably wouldn’t look as good. It’s a slightly easier time than perhaps what Oscar and I are experiencing right now.”

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