Norris: Verstappen's GT3 win came without title pressure

Lando Norris says he respects Max Verstappen’s GT3 victory at the Nurburgring, but suggested the Dutchman only has the freedom to branch out because he is no longer in the thick of the Formula 1 title fight.

Verstappen thrilled fans last weekend by winning on his Nurburgring Endurance Series debut in a Ferrari 296 GT3. Asked if he might also race outside F1, Norris said he would “love to,” pointing to the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a dream target.

"I won’t be in Formula 1 forever," said Norris, who at P2 currently sits 44 points clear of Verstappen (P3) in the standings. "I want to do other things and live my life – try other things."

The Briton already has sports car experience, having raced at Daytona in 2018 alongside Fernando Alonso, but for now, he ruled out doubling up.

"I will enjoy my time in Formula 1," Norris insisted. "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 the comparison with his rival. "I respect Max for doing things like that, but he’s in a much easier position to do those things. 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."