Helmut Marko Critiques Verstappen-Norris ‘Unnecessarily Fierce’ Clash at Austrian GP

Helmut Marko's 'excessively harsh' assessment of the Max Verstappen-Lando Norris incident

Helmut Marko shares his opinion on the collision involving Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.

Helmut Marko characterized the encounter between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris as 'excessively aggressive' after an eventful Austrian Grand Prix.

During their fight for first place on the 64th lap, Verstappen and Norris clashed at the third turn.

Verstappen drifted a bit to the left while braking, crossing into Norris' trajectory.

The incident caused both racers to sustain punctures, paving the way for George Russell to secure an unexpected win at the Red Bull Ring.

Verstappen received a penalty of 10 seconds for his involvement in the incident, a penalty that ultimately did not affect his final placement, which was fifth.

In contrast, due to sustaining damage, Norris had no choice but to withdraw from the race.

Discussing the competition, Marko mentioned to ServusTV, "Several elements contributed to our loss of the win.

"Our pit stop mishap brought Lando into DRS range unexpectedly. We had anticipated that choosing hard tyres would be advantageous, yet that assumption proved incorrect due to the temperatures being cooler than we had predicted."

"This implied that Lando was equipped with fresh tires for his final stretch, while ours were previously worn. Additionally, Max experienced a lock-up following his pit stop at Turn 4. The combination of these elements posed challenges for us."

Marko acknowledged that perhaps Red Bull ought to have stepped in during the investigation of Norris for breaching track boundaries, especially after he received a five-second penalty following their collision on the 64th lap.

"Marko also noted that both seemed to drive with excessive aggression,"

"In hindsight, perhaps we should have also taken action, considering we were aware that an investigation was underway regarding Lando and the track boundaries. At the time, however, it wasn't clear whether he would face any consequences."

Looking back, one might conclude, 'fine, release him.' However, focusing on the positive aspect, we've expanded our advantage in both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships.

"The battle was intense until it unexpectedly deteriorated. The focus shifted from achieving a fair conclusion to arguments over braking points and exploiting track boundaries."

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