Lando Norris has accused Max Verstappen of "talking nonsense" after his title rival claimed that he would have won this year's Formula 1 world championship "easily" in the Brit's McLaren car.

Norris holds a 22-point lead over his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri and a 25-point advantage over Red Bull's Verstappen with only Sunday's Qatar Grand Prix and next weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix remaining.

Verstappen, who has won four successive world championships, claimed in an interview earlier this week that he would have won the title easily if he had been driving the McLaren, in which Norris and Piastri sealed the Constructors' Championship for their team back in early October.

Norris fended off Verstappen for third place in the early stages of a Qatar Sprint won by Piastri on Saturday but appeared to be continuing the mind games between himself and the Dutchman when he said in his post-race interview that he "never saw" the Red Bull behind him.

Asked about the situation in the post-Sprint press conference for the top three, Norris said: "Of course I saw him [Max), but he was never too much of a threat at all.

"My focus was more just on [second-placed] George [Russell] and seeing how I could keep the tyres in a good place for later.

"Max is very welcome to say everything he wants, to be honest. He kind of earned the right. He's won four world championships. I have a lot of respect and I think that gives anyone a lot of credit in general. He's achieved an incredible amount, more than anyone generally dreams of achieving.

"Max generally has a good clue about a lot of things, but there's also a lot of things he doesn't have much of a clue about.

"This is also Red Bull's way of going about things, this kind of aggressive nature, just talking nonsense a lot of the time.

"It depends if you want to listen to it or talk about, like you [the media] love to, or you do what we do as a team, which is just kind of keep our heads down and keep focused.

"Maybe he would have done [won easily], but he hasn't so far, and he keeps trying."

Verstappen's bid for a fifth successive title was reignited following last weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix when both Norris and Piastri were disqualified after the McLaren's breached regulations with excessive plank wear.

Even with the win he claimed in Vegas, Verstappen's hopes were all but over before Norris lost second place.

He arrived in Qatar in boisterous mood, and during an interview with the Press Association on Thursday he offered a pointed response to a question over what would have happened if he had been driving a McLaren this season.

"We wouldn't be talking about a championship," Verstappen said. "It would already have been won, easily.

"I mean they won the Constructors' Championship so early that yeah... you can fill it in yourself."

The battle between the pair during the Sprint at the Lusail International Circuit wasn't the first of the weekend, with each having accused the other of impeding them during Friday's Sprint Qualifying session.

Norris' bid for a maiden title continues on Saturday evening with qualifying for Sunday's full length race in Qatar, which presents his first opportunity to seal the championship.

Norris will become world champion if he ends Sunday's contest, live on Sky Sports F1 at 4pm, 26 points clear of Piastri and 25 points clear of Verstappen.

Saturday November 29
5.15pm: Qatar GP Qualifying build-up
6pm: QATAR GP QUALIFYING
8pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook

Sunday November 30
11.55am: F2 Feature
2.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Qatar GP build-up
4pm: THE QATAR GRAND PRIX
6pm: Chequered Flag: Qatar GP reaction
7pm: Ted's Notebook

*also on Sky Sports Main Event

Formula 1's season-ending triple header continues with the Qatar Grand Prix Sprint weekend live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime