F1
Christian Horner Defends Verstappen in Austrian GP Clash: ‘Penalty a Bit Harsh’ as Norris ‘Gets His Elbows Out
Christian Horner: Max Verstappen's penalty "somewhat severe" | Lando Norris "stood his ground"
Christian Horner shares his perspective on the incident between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris during the Austrian Grand Prix.
Christian Horner, the head of Red Bull's Formula 1 team, thinks it was bound to happen that Max Verstappen and Lando Norris would crash at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Following a fierce battle for first place, the two competitors collided on Lap 64 at the Red Bull Ring.
While braking at Turn 3, Verstappen veered a bit to the left, causing a collision.
Both drivers suffered flat tires, and Norris had to retire from the race because of the damage he incurred.
Verstappen managed to keep racing but ended up in fifth place.
In an interview with selected media outlets, including Crash.net, in Austria, Horner shared his perspective on the incident.
“It was bound to happen given how closely they’ve been competing recently. It’s unfortunate,” he mentioned. “Lando was already at four infractions. He likely would have received a five-second penalty regardless. I’d classify it as a racing incident.”
"I felt that the 10-second penalty given to Max was somewhat severe. Fortunately, it didn't change the outcome of his race, which was already compromised due to the puncture he had encountered."
"Incredibly exasperating. Nonetheless, even though neither of his primary competitors earned any points, we managed to secure 10 points in the drivers' championship and 16 in the constructors' championship. Additionally, McLaren only managed to close the gap by two points."
Tensions were gradually escalating between Verstappen and Norris, especially due to the McLaren driver's last-minute aggressive moves.
Nonetheless, Horner chose not to strongly condemn Norris for his driving.
"He was being quite aggressive. Both racers were really tough," he commented. "It might be some leftover frustration from the previous day. Max overtook him without using DRS at Turn 4. Then, his teammate outmaneuvered him, so there's likely some lingering frustration from that."
"It's unfortunate, as we were managing everything well today. I believe the last pit stop brought Lando back into the competition, and with the benefit of better tires, he was able to get within the DRS range."
Horner admitted that their friendship will probably be "strained" as their competition intensifies.
"He remarked that Max is a tough competitor, and they're aware of it. He suggested that Lando was attempting to compensate for his performance yesterday. It was foreseeable that this tension had been developing over the last few races. Eventually, there was bound to be a close encounter between the two."
"Perhaps they won't engage in a game of padel tomorrow, but I am confident that they will discuss it. They are both highly competitive individuals and will communicate frankly, of that I am certain."
"The dynamics between drivers differ across the board. In the end, mutual respect is what truly matters. Naturally, friendships can be strained during intense competition."
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