Martin Brundle believes that Lando Norris may eventually reconsider his view that Max Verstappen got somewhat “lucky” during the Brazilian Grand Prix, as Verstappen was “in a class of one” throughout the race on Sunday.
Starting from 17th on the grid, Verstappen managed an unexpected victory in challenging wet conditions at Interlagos, while Norris, who began from pole position, fell to sixth place.
Norris’s comment on Verstappen’s luck stemmed from the timing of a red flag stoppage, which he felt favored the Red Bull driver.
In the race, Norris had already pitted for new intermediate tires as the rain intensified, while Verstappen and both Alpine drivers chose to remain on track.
When Williams driver Franco Colapinto crashed under Safety Car conditions, a red flag was shown, allowing Verstappen to change his tires without losing his second-place position on track.
He then quickly passed Esteban Ocon at Turn 1 and surged ahead, setting consecutive fastest laps and eventually winning the race by a 19-second margin. Brundle praised this as a “classic drive” on Sunday.
Though Norris initially remarked that Verstappen’s success was due to “not talent, just luck,” he later congratulated the World Championship leader by commenting, “Nice drive mate” on Instagram, in response to a post celebrating Verstappen’s victory.
When asked by Sky Sports News if Norris might reassess his “lucky” judgment upon rewatching the race, Brundle responded, “Yes, I do think he will, because Max was in a class of one; those conditions suit his talent level.”
Reflecting on the race, Brundle also shared his views on McLaren’s performance, noting, “McLaren wasn’t the fastest car in the rain, which is a bit surprising, because they looked so good in qualifying in wet conditions.
Max got unlucky with the red flag in qualifying, but he stayed out on track in the race and anticipated a Safety Car or a red flag situation. He knew what to do, and then he just steamed off and won by 19 seconds at a canter, really.”
Brundle also commended Formula 1’s handling of the event: “It was a classic drive, and I think Formula 1 did really well to get the race underway and finished, actually.”
With Verstappen’s lead now extending to 62 points going into the final three rounds, he’s firmly positioned as the favorite to secure a fourth consecutive title.
Brundle added his advice on how Norris could approach the situation, saying, “I think he just needs to extract the maximum out of himself and McLaren and his car and see where he ends up, to be honest.
If he starts focusing on one team or driver over another, that’s a lot of wasted energy. He should prepare himself for a championship challenge next year, which promises to be an all-time classic, a season for the ages.
The cars have hit their peak of development and we know how close everything’s going to be next year.”
Brundle concluded with guidance for Norris, urging him to focus on his own performance: “So that’s his focus: Just go as fast as he can, as long as he can, and see what happens. Anything else will just be a distraction.”
