F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi - Source: Getty
Max Verstappen has claimed that the critics of some of his moves during his battles with Lando Norris don't have the championship "mentality" and hence can't understand why those moves are made. The Red Bull driver had a very eventful 2024 F1 season where he fended off a late surge from his rivals to clinch the title.
After a strong start from Red Bull, Miami GP brought a shift in momentum as McLaren's upgraded car became a thorn in the side of Red Bull and Max Verstappen. While the RB20 continued to digress over the season, the Woking-based squad surged and helped Lando Norris mount what would be an outside challenge for the title.
The challenge ultimately failed, but there were races where Max Verstappen was very aggressive in his wheel-to-wheel battles with Lando Norris and had to incur penalties from the FIA stewards and criticism from the media. Addressing the criticism of some of his moves in the battle against Norris, especially Mexico GP, Verstappen said (as quoted by Autosport):
