Lando Norris and Max Verstappen praised after fans spot classy Australian GP moment

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen have been praised by fans after they were spotted waving at each other after the Australian Grand Prix. 

While the two have been friends for some time, fans were pleased to see the moment after their 2025 championship rivalry and an on-track battle in Melbourne that saw the McLaren driver hold off the four-time champion for a number of laps to take fifth place.

"Always nice to see drivers be friendly like that," one fan commented on Reddit, while another added: "That's nice to see! I never believe in the media-created feuds."

Someone else posted: "They were battling away for a few laps in this race. I think these might be 'good fight mate, I had fun' gestures from two colleagues who seem to respect each other.

"The thing about this new battery deployment era is that the drivers can have a back-and-forth fight for a few laps, even if they're not actually swapping positions. But they know they're fighting: they can see how the other guy is using his boost button to defend or attack, and where he's recharging, and they're responding to that."

Another commenter wrote: "The thing is, these guys have always been friendly. It’s crazy how people assume they’re madmen. I played rugby my entire life on the field, I want to rip the other guy’s head off. But as soon as the whistle blows, those same guys are some of the nicest people around.

"I think people like to believe athletes like this have no emotional control, but in reality, they’re professionals."

While the Australian Grand Prix did not start off the 2026 season in the way either Norris or Verstappen would have wanted, with a fifth and sixth place finish respectively, they now look ahead to the Chinese Grand Prix. The next race in Shanghai, scheduled for 13-15 March, will feature the first sprint race of the year.