Max Verstappen has urged Lando Norris to keep “working hard” after he lost ground in the Formula 1 championship fight with a retirement in the Dutch Grand Prix.
Norris retired in the closing stages at Zandvoort with a mechanical failure whilst running in second place, as team-mate Oscar Piastri cruised to victory.
The result leaves Norris 34 points adrift of Piastri in the title race with nine rounds to go, giving the Australian some breathing space ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.
Verstappen knows all too well how it feels to be in a hotly contested championship, having taken the crown in 2021 in such circumstances.
In his infamous season-long duel with Lewis Hamilton, the Dutchman encountered obstacles via various DNFs at Silverstone, Baku and Monza.
When asked what advice he could offer Norris based on that, Verstappen urged him to keep his head down, suggesting that fighting another driver in the same car is easier.
“I mean, it’s out of your control,” he told media including Motorsport Week. “So, you just need to keep working hard, keep trying to win. As simple as that.
“Especially when you are team-mates, you have the same car, same opportunities.
“It’s probably a little bit more complicated than when it’s two different teams, but still a lot of races and you can see things can swing.
“Like Oscar said, you don’t know if you get a mechanical failure or not, it’s out of your control.
“So yes, it’s not ideal, but there are enough races to either turn it around or not, and time will tell.”
Norris has also been backed by McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella, who said he will continue to receive “maximum support” from the team.
The Briton himself also provided a positive outlook on the situation, saying the gap will now enable him to “just chill out about it and just go for it.”
READ MORE – Lando Norris dismisses notion F1 Dutch GP retirement should be considered ‘inevitable’
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