Lando Norris has dismissed as “comedy” a reported claim by Max Verstappen that he could have secured the Formula 1 title earlier if he’d had the same McLaren car as Norris, his closest challenger.

LUSAIL, Qatar — Lando Norris disagrees with Max Verstappen’s belief he would have won the Formula One world championship earlier had he been driving a McLaren, saying the Dutchman “should start doing comedy or something.”

Lando Norris lifted the spirits of his title-chasing McLaren team on Friday when he powered to pole position ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell in qualifying for Saturday’s sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix.

Lando Norris plays down his losing battle with the Red Bull driver: “Nobody in F1 could have recovered from a deficit like the one I had.”

Lando Norris joked that Max Verstappen should go into comedy after the Red Bull driver claimed he would have won this year’s F1 world title sooner if he was driving in a McLaren. Verstappen sealed his fourth successive world championship in Las Vegas last weekend, with Norris now unable to catch him with two rounds remaining in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Lando Norris says Max Verstappen "should start doing comedy" after the Dutchman suggested he could have won the world title in Norris' McLaren.

Lando Norris has insisted he remains good friends with Max Verstappen, despite the duo clashing throughout the season as the Qatar Grand Prix looms. Verstappen recently secured his fourth F1 Drivers' Championship on the trot,