Lando Norris insists he 'hates everyone' when he gets behind the wheel of an F1 car and will not let his friendship with Max Verstappen deter him from going all out for this year's world title.

McLaren star Norris and his Red Bull pal Verstappen are in a tense battle for the Drivers' Championship, which looks set to go down to the wire. Verstappen dominated the early stages of the season and boasts a 52-point lead over Norris, but the Brit is closing the gap with each passing week and now has a significantly faster car.

Tension is promised over the final six Grands Prix of 2024. But Norris is adamant that he will not play nice with Verstappen just because they are friends off track.

"As soon as I put the helmet on, I hate everyone," he told The Athletic. "That doesn’t change. A lot of people think, because I get along with someone here or just play on a [video] game with someone, that you’re just best mates in life, no matter what you do. That’s just nonsense.

"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."

Norris went on to explain that his friendship with Verstappen has given him added motivation to get one over on the Dutchman, who is hunting down a fourth consecutive world title with Red Bull.

He continued: "I think the people you actually get along with more out of the track are the people you want to beat more when you’re on the track, which is the opposite thought to what a lot of people have. They think because you’re mates there, you’re too nice on the track. I think it’s the complete opposite."

Norris took the chequered flag more than 20 seconds ahead of Verstappen in Singapore last time out. Not since the Belgian Grand Prix on July 28 has the Red Bull star finished ahead of his McLaren rival.

Both drivers will have had almost a month to stew on their title battle by the time they return to competitive action in just under two weeks' time. Circuit of the Americas will host the first race in a triple-header, with Grands Prix in Mexico and Brazil completing a mouth-watering three-week bonanza.