P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen has urged Lando Norris to keep “working hard” after he lost ground in the F1 championship fight with a retirement in the Dutch GP.
Max Verstappen has encouraged Lando Norris to continue “working hard” following Norris’ setback in the Formula 1 championship battle due to his retirement in the Dutch Grand Prix. With Norris forced to retire late in the race at Zandvoort while running in second place, his teammate Oscar Piastri grabbed the victory. As a result, Norris finds himself 34 points behind Piastri in the title race with nine races remaining, giving Piastri a solid lead going into the Italian Grand Prix this weekend. Verstappen can relate to being in a fiercely contested championship, as he clinched the 2021 title after facing challenges like DNFs at Silverstone, Baku, and Monza in battles against Lewis Hamilton. When offering advice to Norris based on his own experiences, Verstappen emphasized the importance of perseverance and hard work, especially since teammates have identical opportunities and cars. Norris, who had been ahead of Verstappen in second place before his retirement in the Dutch GP, can take solace in the support from McLaren’s Team Principal Andrea Stella and the remaining races to potentially turn the situation around. The Briton remains optimistic and suggested that the larger points gap may allow him to relax and push harder in the upcoming races.
