F1 Rivalry Heats Up: Can Max Verstappen and Lando Norris Maintain Their Friendship Amidst Austrian GP Controversy?

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris "can't maintain a friendship" following their clash at the Austrian Grand Prix, according to Ted Kravitz, who believes that friendship and rivalry between the two are incompatible.

Ted Kravitz from Sky Sports F1 believes that Max Verstappen and Lando Norris are unable to maintain a friendship due to their intensifying competition on the track.

Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix marked the initial confrontation between Verstappen and Norris.

Following several laps of fierce competition, the duo crashed into each other at Turn 3.

Max Verstappen received a 10-second time penalty due to his involvement in the incident. He was judged to have shifted his position while braking, which did not leave Lando Norris enough room and led to a collision.

The crash caused both drivers to get flat tires, leading to Norris being unable to continue the race, while Verstappen managed to secure fifth place in the end.

In his post-race commentary, Kravitz shared his perspective on the relationship dynamics between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. He noted that, until now, they have been friends, enjoying evenings out together and traveling to extended races on the same flights.

"Is this the conclusion of the close friendship between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris? Are the days of traveling to Ibiza together over? Will they stop attending Martin Garrix concerts? Has their mutual respect come to an end?"

Norris mentioned that this was his perspective. He wasn't concerned about Martin Garrix or the private jets. According to Lando, if Max fails to apologize or take responsibility, he would lose some respect for him.

Kravitz mentioned that Max, after the incident, insisted he had no intention of complying. When Max learned about the 10-second penalty for the collision, which occurred because he didn't provide Lando with sufficient space during his maneuver, he responded by saying, "Of course, sure, that’s ridiculous."

Max's perspective is important here. He believes that if you're Lando, you have the option to go left or right and can pressure him all the way into Turn 3. His question is, "What do you expect me to do?"

"Lando would likely demand, 'Race fair and make sure to leave me enough room.' Max might respond with, 'You pushed me off the track.' Lando would then reply, 'You changed your line while braking.' And so on, and so forth."

"This is the point Andrea Stella is making. Without clear and strict guidelines from the stewards on what behaviors are acceptable, situations like this are inevitable."

"Another point to consider is whether clearly defined rules from the stewards would have prevented today's events. Personally, I doubt it. Regardless…"

Since McLaren introduced their upgrade in Austria last year, Norris has regularly emerged as the closest competitor to Verstappen.

Due to this, Kravitz believes that it will be unmanageable for two competitors vying for the championship to maintain their friendship, and he remarked that Austria was "the first day we witnessed it."

Christian Horner mentioned over the radio that Lando's actions were inappropriate and that Max Verstappen faced significant bad luck. He elaborated, "This is typical of Red Bull." I then asked Christian Horner, "Was Max Verstappen simply unwilling to accept second place?"

"It's fascinating. Was he unwilling to accept second place to McLaren at Red Bull’s home race? Perhaps he wouldn't have settled for it; that's the crux of the matter. Maybe he could have overtaken Lando again, but it all fell apart. They're likely to blame one another. This could potentially mark the end of the relationship between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen."

"Is it feasible for two competitors in a championship to be friends? Absolutely not. They can't be exchanging all their secrets and enjoying themselves at places like Ibiza or events with Martin Garrix, and so on. Friendship between them is out of the question. Was today the day we first witnessed this reality?"

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