Horner Calls Verstappen’s Penalty ‘Harsh’ After Intense Austrian GP Clash with Norris

Christian Horner offers his perspective on the incident involving Max Verstappen and Lando Norris during the Austrian Grand Prix, describing Verstappen's penalty as "somewhat severe" and noting Norris's aggressive defensive maneuvers.

Red Bull Racing's team principal, Christian Horner, felt it was bound to happen that Max Verstappen and Lando Norris would end up crashing into each other at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Following a fierce battle for the top position, the duo collided on the 64th lap at the Red Bull Ring.

Under braking heading into Turn 3, Verstappen veered a bit to the left, causing a collision.

Both racers experienced tire blowouts, leading to Norris being unable to continue in the race because of the damage incurred.

Verstappen managed to carry on but ended up in fifth place.

In a conversation with a few members of the press, including Crash.net, in Austria, Horner shared his perspective on the incident.

He expressed that it was bound to happen, given how intensely they've been competing recently. "It's unfortunate," he remarked. "Lando had already accumulated four strikes. It seems likely he was on the verge of receiving a five-second penalty regardless. In my opinion, it was simply an incident that occurred during the race.

"It seemed a tad severe that Max received a 10-second penalty. Fortunately, it didn't impact him since his race had been previously compromised by the puncture he suffered."

"Extremely aggravating, yet during a day when neither of his primary rivals managed to score, we still secured 10 points in the drivers' standings and 16 in the teams' standings, while I believe McLaren only closed the gap by two points on us."

Tensions were gradually escalating between Verstappen and Norris, especially due to the McLaren driver's last-minute overtaking maneuvers.

Yet, Horner refrained from harshly condemning Norris's driving skills.

"He was making aggressive moves. We're talking about two fierce competitors," he continued. "It likely stems from what happened the day before. Max overtook him at Turn 4 without using DRS. Following that, he was overtaken by his own teammate, so there's likely some residual frustration from that incident."

"Unfortunately, it was disappointing as we managed the situation well throughout. I believe the last pit stop really brought Lando back into the game, and with the tyre advantage he gained, it allowed him to utilize the DRS effectively."

Horner acknowledged that as their rivalry intensifies, their friendship might face significant strain.

"He believes Max is competitive on the track, and that's recognized," he conveyed. "He feels Lando was attempting to compensate for the previous day's performance. It was foreseeable that tensions had been rising over the past few races. Eventually, there was bound to be a tight situation involving the two of them.

"Perhaps they won't engage in a game of padel tomorrow, but I'm confident they'll discuss it. Being fierce competitors, they're bound to have an open dialogue about it, of that I am certain."

"The dynamics among drivers differ across the grid. At the end of the day, respect is the key element. Naturally, when competition intensifies, it can strain the friendships that exist."

Explore Further

Recent Updates

Recent Updates

Site Navigation

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

Copying or replicating the content, images, or illustrations either in full or in part is strictly prohibited in any manner.