Norris surprised by Verstappen: "That hurt inside"

Lando Norris enjoyed his first day at the Zandvoort circuit. The Brit has a lot of respect for Max Verstappen, who again can count on a lot of support in the Netherlands. In conversation with Viaplay he looks back on last weekend's qualifying in Belgium.

While Norris thought he had done well, he was shocked by the time Verstappen set. The reigning World Champion drove gloriously to first place and Verstappen seemed to have little trouble doing so, he also admitted to Norris.

"He said he had only driven one lap and he was six tenths clear," the driver told the Dutch medium. "And I had done my best and was still 1.9 seconds behind him. That hurt inside."

At the start of the season McLaren were still hoping to compete seriously with Red Bull Racing and Ferrari, but those ideas were soon consigned to the dustbin. According to Norris, it is now clear where his team's problems lie.

"It's the driving style. We have to drive in a very special way. Not all the time, but it varies from corner to corner. You really have to make an effort to find the right balance in every corner," said Norris, who will have Oscar Piastri as a teammate next season.