Lando Norris was surprised by the framing of a question about Max Verstappen's F1 lead.

It was put to the McLaren star that Verstappen was 'only' 52 points ahead of him in the Drivers' Championship.

The 24-year-old pointed out that the lead is perfectly sufficient, particularly with Verstappen securing podium finishes in recent weeks.

“Only?” Norris quizzed a Channel 4 reporter. Bemused at the question, he continued: “That’s still a lot of points, especially when Max is finishing second. It doesn’t go down too quickly.”

Adding on his recent performances and whether he can topple Verstappen, Norris added: “I feel like I’ve been performing well in the past couple of months.

“Different circumstances have not led to me having results like [in Singapore]. But I feel like I’ve performed at this level in the past two, three, four weekends.

“I wish I could be closer in the championship. We’ve taken things on the chin, we move forward.

“I was quickest all weekend and dominated the race, it makes you feel good. It’s good motivation for the team.

“I am happy but we need to keep working hard because I’m sure Red Bull will catch up. I want my races to be nice and easy!”