LANDO NORRIS has fired back at Max Verstappen over his F1 title claims.
The Red Bull driver insisted he would have already WRAPPED up top spot if he had been driving his McLaren.
Speaking previously, Verstappen roared: “We wouldn’t be talking about a championship.
“It would already have been won, easily.
“I mean they won the constructors’ championship so early that yeah … you can fill it in yourself.”
That public jibe has seen Norris clamping back at his rival.
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He finished third in the Qatar F1 sprint to add six points to his haul while Verstappen was one place back in fourth to earn five points.
It means heading into qualifying that Norris leads the way at the top of the leaderboard on 396 points with Oscar Piastri second on 374.
Four time champion Verstappen completes the podium places currently sitting on 371 points – 25 behind the leader.
Norris has the chance to claim the title this weekend, but while his full focus will be on achieving that success, he took the time to hit back at his rival Verstappen over his bold claims.
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He said: “Max is very welcome to say everything he wants.
“He has kind of earned the right because he has won four world championships.
“I have a lot of respect, and he has achieved an incredible amount – more than anyone could dream of achieving – and that gives anyone credit.
“He generally has a good clue about a lot of things, but there is also a lot of things he doesn’t have much of a clue about.
“But it is also Red Bull’s way of going about things, an aggressive nature and just talking nonsense a lot of the time.
“It depends if you want to listen to it and talk about it he like he would love you to do, or do what we do as a team which is keeping our heads down and stay focused.
“Maybe he would have done [won the title easily] but he hasn’t done so far.”
