Yahoo Autos Lando Norris Loses Respect for Max Verstappen After Austrian GP
Lando Norris suffered his first DNF of the season after a collision with Max Verstappen while fighting for the lead.
Verstappen was given a 10-second penalty during the race for causing the collision, followed by two penalty points.
Norris states that he can forgive if Verstappen owns up to causing the crash; if not, he'll lose respect for the World Champion.
For the first time in four races, neither Lando Norris nor Max Verstappen stand on the podium steps after the conclusion of Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix. Contact between the two led to a DNF for Norris and a fifth-place finish for Verstappen, along with penalties.
Sky Sports asked if this crash could bring the end to the budding friendship between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen and if it would effect them grabbing dinners and "playing paddle" in the future.
"It depends what he says," Norris told Sky Sports, "If he says he’s done nothing wrong, then I lose a lot of respect. If he admits to being a bit stupid and running into me, being a bit reckless in a way, then I’ll have a small amount of respect for him.
"It’s still a tough one to take when we’re fighting for the win, and I’m trying to be fair from my side, and he just wasn’t."
Over the radio, Verstappen expressed his disappointment in his time penalty, saying, "That’s just ridiculous. He could just send it left or right; what does he want me to do?"
Verstappen has been criticized throughout his early career that he's too aggressive in braking zones while defending his lead. Sky Sports commentator and former F1 driver F1 believes that this was a regression to that less mature driver.
“Max reverting to early years Max," Brundle said on the broadcast. "Getting the razor blades on his elbows into the braking zones."
While Norris awaits his apology, Verstappen looks to let time pass and tempers cool.
"Of course, we’ll talk about it, Verstappen said. "At the moment, I think it’s not the right place; I think it’s better to let things cool off."
The Red Bull driver believes the angles shown are not sure of the full extent of what happened between the two drivers on lap 64; the FIA believes that they've seen enough to dock Verstappen two points on his super license, raising his 12-month total to four points. Once a driver hits 12 points in a one-year period, they face suspension.
The two championship leaders have raced each other cleanly this year and have been quick to shout out the other's successes when they fall on the podium steps. In five of the last six races leading into the Austrian Grand Prix, Verstappen and Norris have finished 1-2, with Norris' maiden victory at the Miami Grand Prix and Verstappen's wins in China, Imola, Montreal, and Spain.
In a second interview Verstappen was quick to bring up how Norris' move also contributed to the two drivers colliding.
"I feel like sometimes his divebombs, he's so late on the brakes," Verstappen said, "One time he went straight, and I had to go around the [curbs]. Obviously, we would have touched as well."
Norris holds that he raced Verstappen hard but clean, and even though he didn't have the speed to match the majority of the race, entering turn three on lap 64, he did.
"I gave a fair, respectful, on-edge battle," Norris said.
Next week fans will watch the two battle at McLaren's and Lando Norris's home track of Silverstone and see if the beef is squashed or if it will grow.
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