Norris lost out on a maiden championship as Verstappen sealed his fourth title at the Las Vegas Grand Prix last month.
The McLaren driver had been a long shot in any case, though with his team’s rising fortunes and Red Bull Racing flagging, for a time it looked a possibility.
Key to Verstappen’s success was consistency, with the Dutchman scoring points routinely as he limited the inroads his rivals made on his early-season advantage.
That was arguably best demonstrated at the Austrian Grand Prix, where he and Norris clashed while battling for the lead.
Norris retired off the back of their incident at Turn 3 as Verstappen trudged on to salvage 10 points with a wounded Red Bull at the chequered flag.
That incident demonstrated a key difference in the approach of the two drivers in battle, with Verstappen the far more aggressive than his rival.
“Lando has learned a lot on how to race Max,” Brown told selected media, including Speedcafe, of Norris’ 2024 campaign.
“Max is transparent on how he races; try and pass down the outside… he’s not letting you past around the outside.
“I think Lando put up a great fight in Mexico, but also kept them out of an accident.”
Norris wasn’t always free to race however as the relative positions of Red Bull Racing and McLaren played a significant contributing factor in how he engaged.
With Red Bull Racing essentially solely reliant on Verstappen for points, its position in the constructors’ championship began to slip as the European season began in May.
As the Milton Keynes’ squad’s chances dwindled, Verstappen could afford to be more aggressive in the knowledge the teams’ title was increasingly unlikely.
Conversely, the resurgence of McLaren propelled it to top spot and placed it in a position where it could win its first constructors’ championship in more than 25 years.
That left Norris to walk a tightrope where at times his own ambitions conflicted the team’s.
Where ideally he’d be free to engage and not be pushed around when the gloves came off, in reality he couldn’t risk contact, damage, or a retirement.
As a result, he was forced to play a defensive game, backing out of battles he’d perhaps have been better served, as an individual, to engage in.
“I know Lewis [Hamilton] eventually went ‘right, this might end in tears for both of us…,” Brown explained of the dynamic at play in 2021.
“We can’t afford that lesson… I think Lando has done the right think.
“I think he knows where and how to race Max, and I think he’ll race him differently next year.”
McLaren went on to win the constructors’ championship from Ferrari by 14 points, aided by a lights to flag win in Abu Dhabi for Norris.
Team-mate Oscar Piastri’s race meanwhile unravelled at the opening corner following contact with Verstappen, for which the Dutchman later apologised, that left him at the back of the pack.
He recovered to 10th, and a world championship point, as he and Norris combined to end the team’s 26-year constructors’ championship drought.
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