Lando Norris was not impressed with Max Verstappen’s maneuvering while braking during the Austrian Grand Prix. Christian Horner, the boss of Red Bull, has stated that it is Norris’ responsibility to adapt to Verstappen’s racing style following their clash in Formula 1’s Austrian Grand Prix. Verstappen was penalized for an incident at Turn 3 with seven laps remaining, resulting in punctures for both drivers and ruining their chances of success. Verstappen has faced criticism for his aggressive driving in close-quarters battles, with Norris describing his actions as “desperate.”
However, Verstappen has disregarded his rival’s comments, and Horner has emphasized that the reigning World Champion will not change his behavior in response to the penalty. Instead, Horner has suggested that Norris must become accustomed to competing with Verstappen on the track now that McLaren has caught up to Red Bull. “I understand they have already spoken, and I don’t believe there is any problem,” Horner told Sky Sports News. “From Max’s perspective, he will not alter his approach. There is an aspect of Lando learning how to race against Max, and they are discovering that. It is inevitable that there will be more intense racing between the two of them as the cars appear to be evenly matched in the upcoming races. Max is an aggressive racer – he is perhaps one of the most aggressive racers on the circuit, and it is well-known that if you are going to compete against Max, he will fight back just as hard.”
McLaren chief Andrea Stella was furious with Verstappen and claimed it stemmed from previous incidents in his 2021 championship battle with Lewis Hamilton going unpunished. However, Horner has criticized Stella’s post-race evaluation as an “unfair” attack on Verstappen and reiterated his belief that a collision was inevitable. “He competed extremely aggressively in 2021, he’s a resilient competitor, and he hasn’t truly raced against anyone for two years because he’s been so far ahead,” Horner stated. “The tension between the two of them has been building up over several races where they’ve been racing each other closely and fiercely, and at some point, it was bound to overflow – and it did at Turn 3.
He was penalized in 2021 if he made a mistake, just like Lewis, whom he was fiercely competing against that year, was penalized for his mistakes. I believe it’s incorrect and unjust to label a driver in that manner, and I’m certain that in the heat of the moment, it was frustrating for Andrea, but that’s simply tough racing. He worked with Michael Schumacher [at Ferrari] for many years – of all people, he should know that.” Horner has played down expectations that the incident might result in Verstappen being targeted with hostility during this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone. “I’m certain that it will be a partisan crowd for the British drivers, just as it is for Max in Holland, but I believe that whenever we go to those tracks, there is always respect for the other drivers,” he said. “I hope Max receives a fair reception, and I’m certain that it will be all orange again this weekend – perhaps not Max Verstappen fans, but more McLaren fans. That won’t bother him at all, he’ll keep his focus and won’t change. He is the racer that he is, and I’m certain that he will race just as fiercely this weekend.”
