Lando Norris believes he has what it takes to challenge for a world title in the future after his battle with Max Verstappen during the 2024 season. 

Norris arrives at the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend 62 points behind Verstappen, knowing a win is a must if he is to keep his faint world championship hopes alive. 

Verstappen and Red Bull started the campaign as they left off last year, only for Norris and McLaren to emerge as genuine contenders after a series of car developments.

On a dramatic weekend in Brazil, Norris reduced the Dutchman's advantage to 44 points by winning in the Sprint race, but that victory proved to be in vain. 

Despite starting 17th on the grid, Verstappen regained his sizeable margin with a stunning wet weather performance, and can clinch a fourth world title in Sin City this weekend. 

When asked what he had learned from this season, Norris said: “That I have what it takes. It’s the first time in the last six years of F1 that we’ve had a chance to fight at the front.

"This is our, and my, first opportunity to do so, and my first opportunity to see where I stand.

“I definitely was not at the level I needed to be at the beginning of the year, even [after beating Verstappen to a maiden win] in Miami.

"Since the summer break I feel like I’ve done a very good job and performed very, very well – by far some of my best performances that I’ve done.

“I’ve been very happy with how the last few months have gone, honestly. I wouldn’t change many things that have happened.

"I still need to make tweaks and I still need to improve on things, that’s clear. I’m not completely satisfied with how I’ve done and I definitely know I need to make improvements.

“But, for the first time, I’m confident to say I have what I think I need to fight for a championship. It doesn’t mean I’m complete, it doesn’t mean I’m perfect.

"When you’re competing against drivers who are close to that, like Max, you have to be close to perfect if you want to challenge him.”

Despite Norris' disappointment, this weekend marks an opportunity for McLaren to edge closer to a first constructors' championship since 1998. 

The British-based team are currently 36 points ahead of Ferrari at the top of the standings with two races and a sprint remaining this season. 

McLaren have 19 podiums in 2024, their best record in a campaign since 2007 (24). In only four years have they achieved more (20 in 1998, 22 in 2000, 24 in 2007 and 25 in 1988), though Norris insisted the battle was far from over.

“Ferrari have been strong for a long time,” said Norris. “They have two very good drivers, they’re a very good team, they’ve clearly improved their car a good amount and found a better direction to head down.

“They probably will be with us. Some races are a bit better, some races a little bit behind, some races the same as a competition. Maybe [the momentum is] a little bit with them, but we’re close. Red Bull are close at the same time.

“It’s more about who can do a better performance on a weekend. We do know that Vegas is probably a track that will suit the Ferraris a bit more.

"It suited them well last year, but we know Qatar will be more favourable to us.”

Max Verstappen explained that his quest for a fourth world championship title has seen him race "on the limit" ahead of this weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix. 

Verstappen has the chance to become one of the greatest to grace the sport under the bright lights of Sin City this weekend, should he finish ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris. 

Though the world championship isn't officially decided yet, after a phenomenal wet weather performance in Brazil last time out, Verstappen is within touching distance. 

He has a 62-point lead over Norris with two races and a sprint left, and if the Briton finds himself 60 points behind after Las Vegas, his title bid will officially come to an end. 

The pair have exchanged battles on the track this season, most notably at the United States and Mexican Grands Prix last month, with Verstappen criticised for his driving. 

"I know on track if you want to win, if you want to be a champion, you do need to be on the limit," the Red Bull driver told BBC Sport.

Should he emerge victorious on Sunday, he would become the sixth driver in history to win at least four world titles, after Michael Schumacher (seven), Lewis Hamilton (seven), Juan Manuel Fangio (five), Alain Prost (four) and Sebastian Vettel (four).

"Of course, the championship is in the back of my mind, naturally," he says. "But I will always try to get the best result out of it first and then see what’s possible.

"I always demand a lot from myself. I always try to get the best possible result out of it. I hate making mistakes.

"I put that pressure on myself every weekend. If you want to win a championship, you cannot afford bad results."

But Verstappen's season has been far from plain sailing, with Red Bull's remarkable mid-season dip allowing McLaren and Ferrari to close in. 

Prior to his win in Interlagos, the Dutchman had gone nine races without a pole position and 10 without a win, his worst streak since the penultimate round in 2020, when he went 17 qualifying rounds without a pole and 11 consecutive races without a victory. 

After winning seven of the first 10 races of the 2024 season, Verstappen said he was surprised by the other teams' slow start to the campaign. 

"We started really dominant, but I also feel like some teams didn’t start as well as they should have compared to last year, so we were a bit surprised about that," he said. 

"We felt it’s a bit weird how the others are not really making the step forward. So then I guess they got their stuff sorted out.

"I already said from the beginning of the year that I was not entirely happy with how the car was handling."

Despite a fourth title almost being sealed and 62 wins already in the bag, Verstappen has revealed that he plans to explore the world of motorsport before he retires. 

He is relaxed about his future, though he has been open-minded about where he might drive in F1 in coming years and how much longer he will stay.

"It is not like when I started in F1. I had that target, seven titles, 100-plus wins. At the time, Michael (Schumacher) was the record-holder. It’s not how I see life any more.

"Maybe when I was a bit younger, yeah, I wanted to drive F1 as long as I could. But now when you have already achieved so much, it is not about wanting to drive forever.

"I also want to enjoy life. I definitely don’t want to be racing in F1 until I’m 40 years old. You only live once, and I don’t want to spend half of it racing cars."

DRIVERS TO WATCH

Max Verstappen – Red Bull

Verstappen has the chance to become only the third driver in the competition’s history to break the 3,000-point barrier (2,979.50 currently), something only Hamilton (4829.50) and Vettel (3098) have achieved.

The Dutchman has scored 72.24% of Red Bull's points in 2024, the widest gap to the second driver of any team this season in Formula One (44.49 – 27.76% for Sergio Perez). On the other hand, Mercedes is the team with the smallest percentage difference between its drivers in terms of total points (0.52 - George Russell's 50.26 and Hamilton's 49.74).

But, if either Verstappen or Perez achieve the fastest lap at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Red Bull (99) will become the fifth team in Formula One history to achieve 100 fastest laps after Ferrari (263), McLaren (170), Williams (133) and Mercedes (109).

Oscar Piastri – McLaren

Piastri has scored points in 23 consecutive F1 grand prix. It is the seventh-best historical run in the competition (also 23 for Fernando Alonso between Europe 2011 and Hungary 2012) and the best of any McLaren driver.

The Australian is the only driver on the grid to have finished 100% of races in 2024. Not only is this the longest current run, but if he finishes in Las Vegas, it will be the 11th longest streak in Formula One history, equalling Perez's record between France 2022 and Singapore 2023 (26).

However, Piastri will be aiming to return to the podium places having gone three races without a top-three finish since ending the Singapore Grand Prix in third. It is his worst streak since the first seven races of the season.

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 393
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 331
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 307
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 262
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – 244

Constructors

1. McLaren – 593
2. Ferrari – 557
3. Red Bull – 544
4. Mercedes – 382
5. Aston Martin – 86

Max Verstappen revealed he wanted to destroy the Red Bull garage in the hours before he delivered a wet-weather performance for the ages to win the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Verstappen had been left frustrated after Sunday's delayed qualifying session, when a crash by Lance Stroll and subsequent red flag saw him drop out of Q2.

The Dutchman's early exit saw him finish 12th, but a five-place grid penalty for an engine change dropped him to 17th, presenting an opportunity for Lando Norris to take a seismic chunk out of his drivers' championship lead. 

But a determined Verstappen then overcame the rain-affected conditions at Interlagos, climbing to P11 on the very first lap before making his charge into the top 10.

His remarkable comeback, which included five consecutive fastest laps, culminated in him passing Alpine’s Esteban Ocon for the lead on lap 43 before romping to victory.

“My emotions were all over the place, from wanting to destroy the garage (after qualifying) to winning the race,” said Verstappen. “It has been a roller coaster.

“It is unbelievable to win here from so far back on the grid. I was expecting to lose points in the championship.

"Now, I just want clean races. But I am not thinking about clinching the title in Vegas.”

A rain-affected race saw several incidents, with Lance Stroll, Alex Albon, Nico Hulkenberg, Franco Colapinto and Carlos Sainz all failing to finish the race.

But Verstappen remained calm in those conditions, snapping his 10-race winless streak, while also becoming the first driver since Kimi Raikkonen at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2005 to emerge victorious after gaining 16 positions.

And the three-time world champion believed his latest win, which was his 62nd in the competition, was his best one to date. 

“The rain came, we stayed out, which was very sketchy, and I had to just keep the car on track,” continued Verstappen.

“It was undriveable in the conditions. I felt like I was driving a boat, or a jet-ski.

“There was a lot at stake because I had to be aware of the championship, so for me this is the best one (victory).

"And it is a massive boost for the team because it has been a tough period.”

Verstappen is now 62 points clear of Norris in the drivers' championship with just 86 points remaining, and can win a fourth consecutive drivers' title at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

However, he insisted that the season was far from over, acknowledging he must remain perfect in the final three races to get over the line after an up and down season.

“Now it’s of course a great result, which if you look a few hours ago, was definitely the other way around, looking like we were going to lose a lot of points," he said. 

“So I’m very happy, but still three tough races [to go], so we just need to stay calm and make no mistakes.

Max Verstappen surged to a remarkable victory at a frenetic Sao Paulo Grand Prix, climbing from 17th on the grid to extend his championship lead over Lando Norris. 

Pole-sitter Norris could only manage sixth place after a series of errors on the slippery surface in Brazil, and is now 62 points behind Verstappen in the standings. 

The Dutchman can seal a fourth world title in Las Vegas simply by finishing ahead of Norris, who now needs to take more than 20 points from the final three races. 

Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly took the final two podium places to transform Alpine’s season and move the team up from ninth in the constructors’ championship to sixth.

A chaotic, incident-strewn, wet race that involved a red flag, two safety car periods and a series of crashes and incidents, saw the top 10 change throughout the race. 

George Russell, who overtook Norris to take the lead at the first corner, finished fourth, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. 

Oscar Piastri helped McLaren improve their lead in the constructor's fight by finishing eighth, with the RB's of Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson ending just ahead of Lewis Hamilton to round out the top 10. 

Data Debrief: Mad Max edges closer

Verstappen's triumph earned him his 62nd win in Formula One. It is his first in the competition since the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this year, breaking a 10-race winless streak.

And he sealed the win in some style. It is the sixth time in the competition's history that a driver has climbed at least 16 places to end up winning the race, and the first since Kimi Raikkonen in Japan in 2005 (also 16).

Verstappen also set the fastest lap, his third this year. He now has 33 in his career and brings Red Bull to within one of 100 in the competition. 

He is the first driver in F1 history to win from 10 different positions, surpassing the record he previously shared with Fernando Alonso (nine).

Top 10

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

2. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

3. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

4. George Russell (Mercedes)

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

6. Lando Norris (McLaren)

7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

8. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)

9. Liam Lawson (RB)

10. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers'

1. Max Verstappen - 393

2. Lando Norris - 331

3. Charles Leclerc - 307

Constructors'

1. McLaren - 593

2. Ferrari - 557

3. Red Bull - 544

Max Verstappen has dismissed critics of his tussles with Formula One title rival Lando Norris ahead of this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix.

Verstappen was on the receiving end of two separate 10-second penalties following a pair of incidents with Norris during last weekend's Mexican Grand Prix. 

He was given one penalty for pushing Norris off at Turn 4, and another for leaving the track and gaining an advantage as he reclaimed track position over his rival.

The moment came after the title contenders had been involved in another battle in Austin a week prior, which saw Norris handed a 10-second time penalty. 

Verstappen's racing tactics have come under the spotlight following two incidents in the last two races, but he labelled those critics as "annoying" and "biased".

"I don't listen to those individuals. I just do my thing," Verstappen told Sky Sports. "I'm a three-time world champion. I think I know what I'm doing.

"People that are objective and close to me. And not just there to stir.

"Some people are just being very annoying, and I know who these people are. I don't really pay a lot of attention to them anyway.

"And I think I've got to this stage of my career with the right people supporting me and making my own decisions. So, I think I know what I'm doing."

Verstappen leads the drivers' championship by 47 points over McLaren's Norris, though the upcoming sprint this weekend offers the Briton an opportunity to close the gap.

But Verstappen could be on the end of another penalty in one of the final four races of the season, after reports of Red Bull giving him a new engine surfaced. 

Those reports came after the three-time world champion was plagued by issues in Mexico, as he was forced to switch to another engine in his existing pool.

"I haven't heard anything yet," Verstappen said. "It's not [been] discussed. But I know that I will have to take one at some point, so we'll see."

With the overtaking opportunities on offer in Brazil, this weekend could be the best opportunity for Verstappen to get back on track.

He has now gone nine races without a pole position and 10 without a win, his worst streak since the penultimate round in 2020 when he went 17 qualifying rounds without a pole and 11 consecutive races without a victory. 

Quizzed on whether this circuit, where he won in 2023, could be the ideal chance for him to return to winning form, Verstappen said: "Honestly, it's something that is always unknown.

"You think that one particular track is the best place to take an engine or whatever penalty, but it's never guaranteed. It's a possibility."

DRIVERS TO WATCH

Max Verstappen – Red Bull

While much of the conversation off the track has been on Verstappen's aggressive driving, he will be hoping to do his talking on the circuit this time around.

The Dutchman emerged victorious at Interlagos last year. However, the same driver has not won the Brazilian Grand Prix twice in a row since Nico Rosberg did so for Mercedes in 2014 and 2015.

Verstappen also has the fourth-most points at the circuit (136), behind only Fernando Alonso (139), Sebastian Vettel (154) and Lewis Hamilton (185).

Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes

This weekend could be an emotional one for Hamilton, who returns to a track where he made history in 2008.

Saturday marks 14 years since Hamilton became world champion for the first time in his career, finishing fifth in Sao Paulo after passing Timo Glock on the final lap to snatch the victory away from Ferrari's Felipe Massa. 

On the anniversary of his first title success, the Briton will also get behind the wheel of Ayrton Senna's title-winning McLaren between races, marking 30 years since the Brazilian's death. 

The winner in Brazil has started from pole position in eight of the last 10 races, though Hamilton's triumph in 2021, in which he started 10th, and Vettel's second place start in 2017 are the only exceptions.

Only Michael Schumacher, Carlos Reutemann (both four) and Alain Prost (six) have more wins in Brazil than Hamilton (three, level with Vettel), and he will be looking to cap a memorable weekend with his third victory of the season. 

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 362
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 315
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 291
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 251
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – 240

Constructors

1. McLaren – 566
2. Ferrari – 537
3. Red Bull – 512
4. Mercedes – 366
5. Aston Martin – 86

Max Verstappen cannot turn an enthralling end to the Formula 1 season into a "demolition derby". 

Those were the words of former world champion Damon Hill, who criticised Verstappen for his driving at a controversial Mexican Grand Prix last weekend. 

The Dutchman received two 10-second penalties for incidents early on in Sunday's race, which was won by Carlos Sainz.

Reigning champion Verstappen was given one penalty for forcing Lando Norris off the track at Turn Four on the 10th lap, and then another for leaving the track four corners later.

Subsequently, Verstappen finished in sixth, while McLaren's Norris finished in second, closing the gap to 47 points in the drivers' championship with four races to go. 

"It can't just be a demolition derby just to keep your place, or deny everyone getting a place just because you don't want to be overtaken," said Hill on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast.

"So there needs to be a way of disciplining the driver.

"I think Max, if he carries on like that, there will be long-term questions over whether or not it was wise for him to drive like that.

"He's got so much talent, he's got so much ability. He could always use that skill to defeat his opponents. It shouldn't just be a dodgems race."

The incidents came a week after the pair's contentious battle in Austin, where Norris lost third place to Verstappen after being penalised for an overtake. 

Red Bull boss Christian Horner suggested the penalties Verstappen received were "very harsh", using data to back up his claims shortly after the race. 

Horner also added that Verstappen will "always drive aggressively" within F1's regulations, 

"There's never any attempt to publicly describe his driver in a way that other people would recognise it," Hill continued.

"It is always a protective comment from Christian about Max. It almost appears as though Max is free to do whatever he likes.

"His team will never criticise the way he drives. And I think if you're in a competition, that's probably fine to do that publicly.

"But really, at some point, there has to be a conversation. It's the responsibility of the team to also contribute to the driver's attitude."

Verstappen will, however, look to increase his advantage at the summit of the drivers' standings at this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, a track he knows well. 

The 27-year-old won the last race at Interlagos in 2023, though there has not been a winner in two consecutive races at the Brazil circuit since Nico Rosberg in 2014 and 2015.

Sergio Perez described his 2024 Formula 1 season as "terrible", but is hoping for a strong result at the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend to turn his campaign around. 

Perez currently finds himself eighth in the drivers' championship and 204 points behind Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen. 

The Mexican started the season strongly with four podium finishes in the first five races, but has since failed to reach the top three. 

Back-to-back retirements in Monaco and Canada halted his early season momentum, with Perez not finishing higher than sixth in the last 13 races since.

His recent run of form has seen McLaren overtake Red Bull in the constructors' standings, with the British-based team now 40 points in front heading into the final five races.

"I know I've had a terrible season. It started really well, but it's been really, really difficult," Perez told BBC Sport.

"If I had a strong result, it can definitely change my season massively in terms of personal feeling. So I'm really up for it."

The Mexican's start to the season was rewarded with a new two-year deal, but Perez's subsequent slump has led to sustained speculation about his future.

After Red Bull chose to stick with him beyond the summer break, Perez impressed at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but finished without anything to show for it after a last-lap collision with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. 

He then finished 10th and seventh in the following two races in Singapore and the United States. 

But the return of highly-rated Liam Lawson, who finished ninth in Austin last weekend in his first race since replacing Daniel Ricciardo at RB, has further heightened focus on Perez's form. 

Yuki Tsunoda is also still aiming to make his claim for a promotion, while Franco Colapinto has also impressed since taking over from Logan Sargeant at Williams. 

"This is Formula 1. Sometimes the results are not coming, and you just have to make sure you keep your head down," Perez said. 

"You focus on the stuff that you can control and the rest is something that you cannot get bothered with."

Lando Norris accused Max Verstappen of "incorrect" driving following the incident at the United States Grand Prix that led to him receiving a time penalty.

The McLaren driver overtook Verstappen in the latter stages of the race but was given a five-second penalty for leaving the track to gain an advantage while making the pass.

The penalty meant that Norris dropped from third to fourth, and now sits 57 points behind the Drivers' Championship leader with only five races remaining.

McLaren have announced plans to launch a bid to overturn the penalty on Thursday, saying the Brit was left with no option but to go off the track as Verstappen broke late and ran wide and off the track on the turn.

"We'll ask questions. We've already asked certain questions. It's not something that needs to be done publicly or anything," Norris told Sky Sports F1 when asked about whether the rules need to be clarified when two cars go off track.

"But we can just have conversations on why I got the penalty because I don't believe it was correct. I think the majority of people don't agree it was correct, but that's life and sometimes it doesn't go your way.

"I think things just need to be clear for the future on what's allowed and what's not. I think the fact of getting off your brakes to achieve just the ruling of being ahead at apex, no matter how wide you run on the exit, is incorrect and I don't think that's how racing should be.

"Of course, that's the ruling at the minute and that's just what you've got to deal with. So I think there needs to be some tweaks."

Norris also admitted he did not think Verstappen's driving in the incident was "how racing should be".

"Max is the best in the world in this style of defence and attacking. So, I have to be at his level and at the moment I am not quite at the level I need to be at.

"It's a shame to say, but it's probably the truth. At the same time, it's a chance for me to learn and progress."

However, Verstappen did not understand the frustration, pointing out that he was following the rules during the incident in Austin.

"It's how the rules are written. I don't make the rules, first of all. I just follow the rules, as much as I can," Verstappen told Sky Sports F1.

"Of course, sometimes you get caught out with it. We've had that in the past. I just implement the rules and play with them.

"At the end of the day, you cannot overtake outside of the white line. That's a very clear rule, and I've been done by it myself.

"So, I don't understand why then, suddenly now, we need to ask and scream for changes in the regulations when it's been like that forever.

"I mean, I grew up go-karting, F3, F1 - you know that you cannot pass outside of the white line, it's as simple as that."

Max Verstappen came out on top in Formula One for the first time since June after Saturday's sprint victory at the United States Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver claimed pole position for the 19-lap race in Austin, holding on throughout to increase his drivers' championship lead by two points over Lando Norris, who finished third.

That ended a nine-race wait for victory, across eight races and one sprint, as Verstappen led from start to finish, ensuring the momentum in the world championship battle swung firmly back in his favour.

Carlos Sainz ended second after Norris went too deep into Turn One on the final lap, though the McLaren driver fended off Charles Leclerc – who finished fourth – after a near-miss between the pair.

George Russell started slow but recovered to take fifth, one spot ahead of Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, while Haas pair Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg made up the top eight.

Red Bull had struggled amid Verstappen's winless run, but will now take confidence into qualification later on Saturday before Sunday's main-event race as he looks to extend his 54-point lead over Norris.

"It feels a bit like old times! I'm very happy. If you look at the whole race, Ferrari was also very quick," a relieved Verstappen concluded.

Norris was subsequently confirmed to be under investigation after the race for "driving erratically" in his final-lap battle with Leclerc.

Data Debrief: Red Bull redemption

With Verstappen's eight-point haul in the sprint, Red Bull have now managed points in 62 consecutive events, equalling the third-best run in F1 history (also Mercedes, 62, on two separate occasions).

Verstappen's next challenge will now be to end his eight-race wait in Grand Prix action for victory, which is his worst such streak since going 11 races without a win in 2020.

Top 8

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

2. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

3. Lando Norris (McLaren)

4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

5. George Russell (Mercedes)

6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

7. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

8. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers'

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 339

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 285

3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 250

Constructors'

1. McLaren - 522

2. Red Bull - 483

3. Ferrari - 453

Liam Lawson revealed he has been set a target of beating Yuki Tsunoda to be in contention for a Red Bull seat in 2025 ahead of his return to the track this weekend. 

Lawson will partner up with Tsunoda for RB at the United States Grand Prix in Austin after replacing Daniel Ricciardo for the final six races of the season. 

The New Zealander returns to the grid for the first time in a year after deputising for Ricciardo for five races last season, scoring points at the Singapore Grand Prix on just his third start.

Lawson has the chance to impress again this time around, with a potential view of joining Max Verstappen at Red Bull next year. 

It is no secret that Sergio Perez is under pressure. Since the beginning of 2023, the six-time race winner has scored almost 500 fewer points than Verstappen.

The Mexican has also failed to reach the podium in his last 13 races, with his best finish coming at the Miami Grand Prix where he finished fourth. 

And Lawson has said that beating Tsunoda is the target Red Bull have set, with the 22-year-old aiming to give Christian Horner a headache ahead of next season. 

“[The target set by Red Bull of needing to beat Tsunoda is] pretty much what I expected, they don’t want to see me going in there and seeing me outperformed for the rest of the year – but it’s always been like that,” Lawson said.

“With Yuki, we’ve been compared since we were 17 or 18 years old.

"He’s had a really good start to the season, and he’s been performing better this year than any other year but also the team has changed up a lot this year and is heading in a really great direction so it’s exciting to be part of that as well.”

“The conversations have always been in the direction of becoming a Red Bull driver in the future and that’s what I’ve said to them – that’s what I want to become, that’s why I joined the team and want to stay with them and join them in F1. 

“That’s my goal and their goal, I think, is to have drivers to replace current drivers in the future at some point.

"That’s the goal. When that could happen, I have no absolutely idea. But I know it’ll be based on how I perform in the car.”

Tsunoda currently sits 12th in the drivers' championship, claiming 22 points so far this season, with his last top 10 finish coming in Hungary back in July. 

Lawson will only have one practice to get up to speed this weekend in Austin, which is one of three sprint weekends in the final six races of the season. 

Though he has had time to prepare for this moment, saying he knew during the Singapore Grand Prix he would be replacing eight-time race winner Ricciardo this weekend. 

Lawson explained the difficulty of that particular race, but said a conversation with the Australian has stuck with him ahead of his return to the track.

“Luckily, he’s a great guy,” Lawson said. “He knew it was nothing to do with me. And that’s probably the thing with Daniel for the whole time we’ve been in this situation.

“Even for the last 12 months, it’s never felt like we were in direct competition as much as we all are in the sport in some way.

“With Daniel, it never really felt like that, he was always open to giving advice when I was driving. He was good to me throughout the year, in any way he could be.

“So, it never felt like we were in direct competition for a seat. We were also at very different point in our career, so that’s something that probably helped that.

“I went and saw him and said obviously sorry about this whole situation as it’s not nice, and sorry you had to go through it.

"But he said there’s obviously nothing against me, and he said ‘you get one shot at F1, make sure you take it’ – and he said ‘good luck’.”

Max Verstappen is confident that Red Bull's mid-season struggles are now firmly in their review mirror ahead of the United States Grand Prix this weekend. 

Verstappen started the season with seven wins from the opening 10 races, with the Dutchman on track to claim a fourth consecutive world championship at a canter. 

However, a combination of Red Bull taking a wrong turn with car development and McLaren's resurgence has seen the campaign take on a new complexion for the final six races. 

Verstappen has gone eight races without a victory, seeing his lead in the drivers' championship cut to 52 points by Lando Norris, with Red Bull also surrendering top spot in the constructors' standings to McLaren after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. 

For now, Verstappen is optimistic that Red Bull have turned a corner after they introduced an update to their floor in Baku. 

“Yes, it felt better,” Verstappen confirmed. “That was already a good step for us. I do think we are moving in the right direction now.

"It will take some time. You can’t turn something like this around in one or two weeks. But I do think the team was happy with what they saw in Baku as well.

“Yes, I do think so to be honest," Verstappen added about their season struggles being behind them. "Hopefully we can continue to make good steps from here.”

If either Verstappen or team-mate Sergio Perez scores points in the United States, Red Bull will have put at least one of its two drivers in the points for 62 consecutive races, equalling the third-best run in Formula One history. 

Red Bull are also 45 laps led away from reaching 7000, and would be the fifth team to reach this figure in the competition after Ferrari (15888), McLaren (11029), Williams (7584) and Mercedes (7255). 

But that particular milestone could have come much sooner, with Verstappen saying he was surprised by Red Bull's dramatic drop-off after a dominant period on the track.

“In the beginning, I was surprised as well, but if you look at what our problems were, then I fully understand it," Verstappen told Autosport.

“At some point, we have gone in the wrong direction. The other teams have either not faced that particular point yet or they developed the car in a slightly different way.

"That is always difficult to assess.”

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has said the FIA was wrong to punish Formula One world champion Max Verstappen for swearing. 

The Red Bull driver, who won his third world championship title last year, was asked to do community service by the motorsport’s governing body for swearing in a news conference during last month’s Singapore Grand Prix.

Verstappen then protested against the punishment by giving short answers during an official news conference and termed the penalty "ridiculous", going on to say that such decisions could speed up his exit from the sport. 

Now, the former Haas boss has weighed in, saying that the FIA should not have “made a big story out of it.”

“Max didn't swear at anybody. He used the f-word about his car. So nobody got offended by it, in my opinion,” said Steiner, who departed Haas at the start of the year. 

"The best way [to handle it] would have been not to make a big story of it. Sit down with the drivers, they have a meeting every weekend, and say: 'Hey, guys, can you tone it down a little bit? We are the FIA, we don't really like this.' 

"But don't say: 'If you do, you get a fine, a penalty, whatever.' Because you know these guys, they've got an ego as well. And they say: 'I don't want to do that.' And then what do you create? All this controversy - for nothing."

Max Verstappen said after the Singapore Grand Prix that his punishment for swearing in a news conference could speed up his exit from Formula One.

Verstappen, who finished second behind title rival Lando Norris on Sunday, has often said that he is not motivated by having a long career in the competition. 

The Dutchman has now gone seven Grand Prix without a pole position and seven without a victory, but did halt his two-race podium drought this time around. 

But Verstappen's weekend was dominated by his actions off the track rather than on it, saying the controversy could make his departure from the sport a lot quicker. 

"These kinds of things definitely decide my future as well, when you can’t be yourself or you have to deal with these kinds of silly things," Verstappen said.

"Now I am at the stage of my career where you don’t want to be dealing with this all the time. It’s really tiring.

"For me, that is not a way of continuing in the sport, that’s for sure."

On Friday in Singapore, Verstappen was ordered by race stewards to "accomplish some work of public interest" swearing while describing his car’s performance in Baku while speaking in the official pre-event news conference on Thursday.

He staged a protest against the decision by giving short answers in the official post-qualifying news conference. 

Verstappen called the penalty "ridiculous" and was backed by Norris and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.

"If you can’t really be yourself to the fullest, then it’s better not to speak," Verstappen said.

"But that’s what no one wants because then you become a robot and that’s not how you should be going about it in the sport.

"You should be able to show emotions in a way. That’s what racing is about. Any sport.

"Anyone on the pitch, if they get tackled, or get pushed, or they are not happy with something or there is a frustrating moment, or something they get asked about, it’s quite normal there can be a sort of reaction."

There was also an emotional moment for Verstappen's former Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, with the Singapore Grand Prix potentially his final race in F1. 

Rumours had swirled in the build up to this weekend's race that the eight-time Grand Prix winner would be replaced at RB by Liam Lawson for the final six races of the season. 

The Australian recorded the fastest lap and was voted the driver of the day, but Ricciardo gave his clearest indication that this weekend may be the end of his career in the sport. 

Referring to his fastest lap attempt, Ricciardo said: “It was maybe just to have one last crack at doing a fast one, if it is to be it.”

Pushed on whether that meant Singapore may have been his last Grand Prix, Ricciardo replied: “Possibly, I have to acknowledge that.

"It’s been a little bit of a race-by-race situation and I would have obviously loved the weekend to have gone better. It didn’t, so I have to prepared for this maybe being it.

"I do feel, let’s say, at peace with it. 

“At some point, it’ll come for all of us… I think also, I tried to get back into Red Bull, it didn’t work out, so then I also have to say, ‘Okay, what else am I ultimately doing here and trying to achieve?’

"Let’s say maybe the fairytale ending didn’t happen, but I also have to look back on what it’s been. Fourteen or so years and I’m proud.

“I think when you’ve experienced the highs of winning, you can only fight for P10 for so long."

Ricciardo was spotted taking his time getting out of the cockpit, the Australian appearing to savour the final moments with the car after a gruelling 62-lap race.

Across his 13-year career, Ricciardo has won eight times, with his latest win coming for McLaren at the Italian Grand Prix back in 2021. 

But as he crossed the line for potentially the final time, the Australian struggled to hold back the tears. 

“A lot of emotions, because – look I’m aware it could be it, and I think it’s also just [being] exhausted after the race," Ricciardo concluded. 

"So it’s like a flood of many emotions and feelings and exhaustion.

“The cockpit is something that I got very used to for many years,” added the veteran of 257 Grand Prix starts, tearing up. “I just wanted to savour the moment.”

Sergio Perez expressed his concerns about Red Bull's potential at the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend after citing a lack of balance during Friday's practice sessions.

Lando Norris set the pace, finishing 0.058 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with the Perez's team-mate Max Verstappen 1.294secs off the pace in 15th. 

Perez managed a eighth place finish, just behind the Mercedes of George Russell and the RB of Daniel Ricciardo. 

The Mexican will be hopeful of a better outcome in this weekend's race after crashing out on the penultimate lap in Baku last week after an incident with Carlos Sainz. 

There is no driver in this season who has not finished a Grand Prix on more occasions than Perez (three level with Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda).

He has now gone 11 races without finishing in four seasons for Red Bull, his highest number of retirements with a team, surpassing the 10 in five years for Force India.

Reviewing the two practice sessions, and whether any progress was made between FP1 and FP2, Perez said: “I think we improved a little bit, but still we are lacking quite a lot of balance.

"It’s quite difficult out there to put a lap together, [so] it’s not looking great at the moment."

Perez went on to comment that the level of Red Bull’s struggles “took us by surprise” despite the problems they faced at the Marina Bay street circuit last season.

“Definitely we’ve got some work to do overnight because we are quite far [behind],” said the Mexican, who was 0.871s down on pace-setting McLaren rival Norris.

“We are nearly a second off the pace, so we need quite a big change to be able to come through. We’ll see what we’re able to do.”

Lando Norris topped the second practice session in Singapore but was "hoping to have a much bigger gap" over Charles Leclerc.

The Brit was 0.058 seconds clear of the Ferrari driver after an impressive session on Friday.

Norris had started strong in the first practice too, only for Leclerc to displace him by 0.076s, but he reversed the roles later in the day.

It was the sort of start he was looking for, as he sets out to close the 59-point gap to Max Verstappen, who struggled in practice, in the drivers' championship.

And Norris was feeling positive after the run, but admitted he would have preferred a bigger advantage over those behind him.

"Yeah, pace is good. I'm feeling good, it was also a nice lap," Norris said after the second session. "I think we're doing what we expect, I guess, to be up at the front and to be there with Ferrari.

"But it was a very nice lap and Charles is only [0.058s] behind. I was hoping to have a much bigger gap than what I had, honestly, which means they're quick, it means Ferrari are very, very fast.

"But, yeah, things are going well so far."

Unlike Norris, Verstappen endured another difficult day as he finished 15th, 1.294s behind Norris' time.

Red Bull dropped into second in the constructors' championship after Oscar Piastri's win in Azerbaijan last weekend and need a better performance in Singapore if they want to reassert themselves in the standings.

But Verstappen, who has not won any of the last seven races, was left frustrated by his lap time.

When asked to sum up his day, Verstappen said: "Difficult. Not having the grip that we would like. We have a few things to look at.

"I was not really struggling with the bumps or kerbs, just general grip, so we have to look at the trade-off between the two."

Carlos Sainz was six-tenths off the pace in third, while RB's Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo were surprise strong performers, finishing fourth and sixth respectively, either side of Piastri. 

Mercedes also struggled to match up, with George Russell taking seventh, having damaged a front wing late on, and Lewis Hamilton 10th.