F1 Austrian GP Aftermath: Verstappen-Norris Bromance in Jeopardy, Russell’s Shocking Win, and Perez’s Troubles

Has the friendship between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris come to an end? Key discussions from the F1 Austrian Grand Prix at Spielberg.

A dramatic last-minute crash between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris allowed George Russell to secure an unexpected victory for Mercedes at the Austrian Grand Prix in Formula 1.

Crash.net's Formula 1 editor, Lewis Larkam, shares his insights after attending the 11th race of the 2024 season in person…

Is it possible for Max Verstappen and Lando Norris to maintain their friendship?

Engaged in an intense, all-out battle for first place during the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, Verstappen and Norris ultimately made contact after some aggressive racing.

The incident upset McLaren and led to parallels being drawn with the epic clashes between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton during their high-stakes championship battle in 2021.

It was the initial instance where Verstappen and Norris engaged in direct competition on the track. However, after several intense encounters in Miami, Imola, Canada, and Spain, the collision seemed almost destined to happen.

"It's unfortunate but expected, considering how closely they've been competing recently," commented Christian Horner, the team principal for Red Bull, about the incident.

Norris criticized Verstappen's driving as "reckless" and "desperate" after their collision ruined both of their races, and stated that he anticipates an apology from the three-time world champion.

The 24-year-old British individual mentioned to Sky Sports F1 that if he claims he did nothing wrong, he will lose a significant amount of respect for him.

Verstappen and Norris have a strong friendship. They frequently play padel together and travel to races on the same flights. However, could this recent significant disagreement between them put their relationship to the test?

"They might not play padel tomorrow, but I’m certain they'll discuss it," Horner finished. "They are both fierce competitors, and I have no doubt that they will have an open conversation about it."

"It’s natural for friendships to be strained when you’re in the heat of competition."

Mercedes may soon be competing for victories based on their own performance. Russell took advantage of the incident between Verstappen and Norris to secure an unanticipated first win of the season for Mercedes, marking the team's first triumph since 2022.

Mercedes has shown promising progress in their recent races due to a strong push in development. However, lately, the team has been competing more for the third spot on the podium rather than for wins.

Toto Wolff admitted that the victory wasn't earned purely on performance and even humorously remarked that Mercedes presently requires two front-runners to crash in order to secure a win. Despite this, he remains optimistic about Mercedes' progress and believes the team will soon be competing for wins based on their own merit before the season concludes.

"We had the third-fastest car in terms of speed," Wolff mentioned to reporters, including those from Crash.net, on Sunday. "We've maintained this performance for the past three weekends, which is a very positive sign of our progress and consistency."

“There’s definitely a strong drive within the team to reach a stage where our performance allows us to compete for victories. I believe we will achieve that.”

Is Sergio Perez's performance a cause for concern for Red Bull?

The Austrian race was yet another disappointing event for Sergio Perez.

Kicking off 2024 with four podium finishes in the first five races, the Mexican driver has not made it to the podium since then, partly because of a series of lackluster performances in qualifying sessions.

In Saturday's 23-lap sprint race, Perez crossed the finish line 17 seconds after Verstappen. For Sunday's grand prix, he managed to secure the seventh spot in qualifying, trailing his teammate by nine-tenths of a second.

He subsequently suffered through a disappointing performance, ending up in seventh place in the primary event. Perez was overtaken for the sixth position by Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg toward the end, and trailed Verstappen by 17 seconds, despite the Dutch driver facing several issues, including a 10-second penalty.

Horner stepped in to support Perez once more, especially after Perez secured a new two-year deal, as doubts about his recent performance continue to grow. According to the Red Bull team principal, Perez's RB20 sustained significant damage to the sidepod due to a collision with McLaren's Oscar Piastri on the first lap, which greatly affected his straight-line speed.

Haas Secures Major Result Amidst Alpine Conflict

Tensions flared between the Alpine drivers at the Austrian Grand Prix, with Pierre Gasly expressing frustration after alleging that teammate Esteban Ocon forced him off the track during the initial laps.

Pierre Gasly exclaimed over the team radio, "What on earth just happened? Why did he force me off the track at Turn 3?"

The duo maintained a clean race during a subsequent side-by-side contest, allowing Ocon to secure the last available point for the progressively better-performing French team.

Haas, Alpine's competitors in the midfield, achieved their best performance of the season so far. Nico Hulkenberg impressively secured sixth place, just ahead of Sergio Perez, while Kevin Magnussen finished in eighth position, earning the team a total of 12 points.

In just their second instance of scoring double points this season, the American team has overtaken Alpine to secure seventh place in the constructors' championship. Entering the Austria weekend one point behind Alpine, Haas now holds a 10-point lead over them and trails RB by only 11 points.

Carlos Sainz's Future Sees New Development

During the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, news surfaced suggesting a new development in Carlos Sainz's career, with speculation connecting the Spanish driver to a potential move to Alpine.

The departing Ferrari driver is believed to have concrete proposals from Williams and Sauber, yet recent reports from Autosport and The Race indicate that Alpine has recently entered the competition for his talent for the 2025 season.

As reported by The Race, Sainz has postponed his choice of team for the upcoming season due to Alpine's potential future collaboration with Mercedes as a customer in 2026. The article further suggests that the dynamics shifted once Renault brought Flavio Briatore on board as an executive advisor and began considering the possibility of ending its own engine manufacturing efforts.

Carlos Sainz holds a crucial role in determining the dynamics of the 2025 driver market. However, what initially seemed like a simple decision between two teams has now become more complex.

Continue Reading

Recent Updates

Recent Updates

Site Map

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

It is prohibited to reproduce the text, photos, or images, whether in whole or in part, in any manner.