F1
Jenson Button Stands Firm: No Harsher Penalty Needed for Max Verstappen’s Clash with Lando Norris
Jenson Button opposes calls for a stricter penalty for Max Verstappen.
"Should his penalty have been more severe? It may be a contentious opinion, but I believe it should not have been."
Jenson Button maintains that the FIA stewards made the right decision by not imposing a more severe penalty on Max Verstappen for his incident with Lando Norris.
Last weekend, Norris from McLaren had his Austrian Grand Prix abruptly ended due to a collision with Verstappen from Red Bull.
Max Verstappen received a 10-second penalty, which Christian Horner described as "severe."
The close bond between the two and Verstappen's aggressive approach to racing are being closely scrutinized as the F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone approaches this weekend.
Former Formula 1 champion Jenson Button shared with Sky Sports that he found the duel between Max and Lando thrilling. He believes this is a rivalry that will be discussed for many future races and years, as the two compete for the world championship.
“There's plenty of discussion regarding Max shifting positions during the braking zone. Should his penalty have been more severe?
“This could be contentious, but I believe he shouldn't have done it."
"When he applied the brakes, his vehicle veered a little to the left. This can occur occasionally. When you glance to the right, it's possible to drift slightly to the left."
"It seems that he shifted to the left due to Lando's presence, which caused the problem."
"Lando had the option to shift to the left; there was still plenty of track available to him, which could have helped him steer clear of the collision."
A nearly identical incident took place in Austria last year at the exact same turn, involving Carlos Sainz on the inside and Verstappen on the outside.
“Carlos shifted to the left, mirroring Max's movements. Max trailed behind, running along the edge of the track, without making contact.
“Racing is tough. Occasionally, things don't go as planned, and we discuss it later. However, it's good that we are having these conversations because these two competitors will continue to face each other for many years.”
“This prepares us for the British Grand Prix. The victory will be contested between these two.”
McLaren's team principal, Andrea Stella, responded to the incident in Austria by asserting that the stewards established a negative precedent by failing to adequately penalize Verstappen for past clashes with Lewis Hamilton.
Nevertheless, Button thinks that Stella is just trying to gain a competitive edge with his assertive statements.
“Max has previously shown excessive aggression, particularly towards Lewis,” stated Button.
"Currently, I don't perceive it that way with Lando. However, if they took it to the next level, it would be."
"Drivers didn't typically get on the radio to complain about being pushed off the track."
"They engage in this behavior because they know the stewards will notice and, ideally, take action, as they have previously."
Andrea is aware that it will provoke a response and potentially alter the outcome.
Button supported Norris for a win this Sunday at Silverstone, which would be extremely well-received by his local supporters.
Despite being Mercedes' George Russell, another British driver, who arrives at his home Grand Prix after securing a victory in Austria last weekend.
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