The Red Bull driver made the comment after reaching fifth place at the Las Vegas Grand Prix last weekend to seal his fourth Drivers’ Championship title.

“Yes, even earlier,” replied Verstappen, when asked about such a scenario. “So I would have been further along.”

When handed over to Norris, the McLaren driver smiled.

“He should start doing comedy or something,” Norris said. “He can say whatever he wants… Of course, I don’t agree at all, as I would. He’s good, but it’s not true.”

Verstappen had also suggested he won his fourth title in a year despite not having the fastest car for at least 70% of the season.

His comments were clearly intended to irritate his friend and rival Norris whose title dream ended in Las Vegas.

But this weekend he and McLaren hope to move closer to their first constructors’ championship in 26 years – perhaps with the help of Mercedes who completed a rare one-two finish in Las Vegas where George Russell won ahead of seven-time champion Lewis . Hamilton.

“Mercedes was very fast here last year, so they are definitely favorites this weekend,” Norris said. “Red Bull were good, we were good too, so I expect a good battle.

“I hope it probably favors us a little bit more than Ferrari, but Ferrari has solved a lot of the problems that they were struggling with last year, so really I have no idea, but when you look at it, Ferrari and Mercedes seem to be a better flow at the moment.”

McLaren, with 608 points, leads Ferrari with 584 by 24 points with two Grands Prix, including a sprint this weekend, to go.

After a heated exchange with his Ferrari team, Charles Leclerc said he and teammate Carlos Sainz, who is leaving to be replaced by Hamilton next year, had resolved their differences.

The two swapped positions several times in Las Vegas following team orders that left Leclerc unhappy.

On Thursday he said: “I don’t want to go back to what happened in Vegas… In the last two races of the season we have to do absolutely everything to win the constructors’ championship. That’s all who counts.

“Whatever happened in Vegas, we talked about it and we’re all OK, which is the most important thing. I don’t doubt it because we’ve always had a very good relationship.

“It’s very clear to both of us that we just want to win the constructors’ race and it’s by working as a team that we will achieve that. I’m sure there will be no problems with that,” added Leclerc.

© 2024 AFP