Brundle hails Lando Norris’ new Verstappen-like mentality after first title triumph

After beating Verstappen and teammate Oscar Piastri in an epic three-way title fight at the season finale in Abu Dhabi, Brundle believes Norris is taking a leaf out of the Dutchman's book - adopting a more laid back, but confident approach, safe in the knowledge he can compete with the very best in F1.

The former driver and legendary broadcaster thinks Norris can view "everything else as a bonus" now that he's become world champion, in a similar way to how Verstappen carried himself after his first title win.

Last season, Norris silenced critics that believed he lacked the ruthlessness of an F1 champion - the Briton himself admitted he has "a different mentality" to the one that has helped Verstappen deliver multiple titles - but Sky F1 commentator Brundle said he likes Lando "being Lando"

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Brundle said: "He’s a world champion. So that’s already ticked the biggest box you can as a racing driver.

“I like the way Lando is going about it. He’s doing a bit like Max, but in a slightly different way.

“He’s saying, ‘Look, I’m a world champion. I’ve got that. Now anything else I can do after that, and I’m going to carry on doing it my way, being Lando, being slightly unsure of myself, I’m not going to be super confident, because that’s not how I am.’

“But Max said the same thing when he won his first World Championship, ‘Alright, everything else from here on is a bonus.’ But we all know that Max is so unbelievably competitive. He wants as many World Championships as he can get.

“Lando, I’ve not seen him this year yet, on TV or in person, without a massive grin on his face. He’s so happy.”

Meanwhile, Brundle also offered his thoughts on Verstappen's long term future in F1, which has been the subject of renewed speculation given the Dutchman's harsh criticism of the 2026 regulations.

With Verstappen so interested in other racing categories, the former McLaren driver said he thinks the four-time F1 champion will not "be around in a decade."