New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS): With the 2024 Formula 1 season reaching its final leg the title race has boiled down to a 52-point gap between Red Bull's Max Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris, two good friends, who have put on a spectacle over the past few races.

Lando reflected on his off track friendship with Vertsappen but claimed he leaves all relationships off track.

“As soon as I put the helmet on, I hate everyone. That doesn’t change,” said Norris to The Athletic. “We do those things. We have similar interests. We play padel together, that kind of stuff. And I like Max as a guy, I think he’s a very genuine guy. But that doesn’t change anything when I’m on the track,” he added.

With just six races and three sprint races to go, Lando has an outside chance of winning his debut championship but would require a massive push in the final leg of the season. If Norris were to win the maximum points that will be available to him but Verstappen finishes second in the remaining races, then the Dutch would still pip the British driver by a point.

The McLaren driver went on to state he’s not thinking of the bigger picture and will be taking it one race at a time.

“For me, it’s not trying to think of the bigger picture in a way. By doing that, and just focusing on one race at a time, or what I have to do tomorrow, then Saturday, then Sunday, I’m not thinking, ‘I need a good weekend this weekend, so I can do this next weekend.’ It’s just stupid to think like that, I think,” said Norris.