Sebastian Vettel has backed Max Verstappen to join him as a four-time Formula 1 champion this year.
Lando Norris is only 47 points behind and is closing in on the Dutchman as the 2024 season reaches its climax. But former Red Bull star Vettel is so confident in Verstappen that he even agreed a friendly wager over the outcome of the title race.
Speaking to Sky Germany, Vettel was asked to predict a winner between Norris and Verstappen and thinks the latter will be able to get the points he needs across the final four rounds to keep the Brit at arm’s length.
The Dutchman will be hampered this weekend, though, in his quest to stay ahead of Norris. He will serve a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix having been forced to add another engine to his pool for the season.
All eyes are on the duo this weekend, specifically on how they will race against one another if they go wheel-to-wheel on track. Verstappen has been accused of being overly aggressive in his defending, while some feel Norris has been too meek in the way he has battled with his title rival.
The Dutchman was slapped with 20 seconds’ worth of time penalties in Mexico last week as the stewards felt he had run Norris off the road and then also left the track and gained an advantage. His boss Christian Horner complained about the first but conceded that the second was a fair punishment.
He said: “For me, the first one was still very, very harsh. I understand the second one, but the first one I still struggle to understand, particularly when we seen the data afterwards.
Sebastian Vettel has backed Max Verstappen to retain the F1 drivers’ title this year (
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“You can see Lando come off the brakes, take extra speed. He braked later than he did on his fastest lap. At this point, he is going a lot more speed [sic], and I really do not think he would have been able to stay on track at that point.”
Meanwhile, Verstappen said he “does not listen” to his critics and is adamant that he will not change his approach to on-track combat. He said: “I just do my thing. I am a three-time world champion – I think I know what I am doing.
“Some people are just being very annoying and I know who these people are. I do not really pay a lot of attention to them anyway. I have got to this stage in my career with the right people supporting me and making my own decisions, so I think I know what I am doing.”
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