A few weeks back, we saw one of the most controversial incidents in Formula 1 since 2021. The incident was between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. McLaren CEO, Zak Brown has shared his feelings on how Red Bull managed the entire situation. It’s fair to say that he had some very strong words for Red Bull and their team principal, Christian Horner.
During the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen were battling out for the lead in the second half of the race. With Lando behind, Max was in trouble of losing the lead. The McLaren driver was able to pose an incredible threat going into turn 3. He had attempted an overtake in that corner a couple of times before. But during the 3rd time, the 2 cars made contact and Lando was forced to retire that car while Max had to pit for repairs and ended up finishing 4th. This paved the way for George Russell to get Mercedes’ first victory since 2022.
Zak Brown shows no restraint while talking about how Red Bull handled the incident
After the incident, a 10-second penalty was given to Max Verstappen. Naturally, the entire McLaren garage was furious as they felt that the incident was Max’s fault. But Red Bull did not comment much on the matter. Zak Brown shared his thoughts on this.
Thorough analysis from former F1 test driver and expert pundit Anthony Davidson on not just Lando and Max’s incident, but ones that have gone before… 👀#AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/MoqNe9jEzF
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) July 2, 2024
“Until someone tells Max that’s against the regulations, he’s not going to know any differently. It is disappointing that such a great team like Red Bull almost encourages it. We should guide our drivers on what is right or wrong.”
“We’ve seen a lack of respect (at Red Bull), whether it’s financial regulations or sporting on-track issues, or with fathers and things of that nature. I don’t really have any interest in speaking with Christian.”
Zak Brown felt that Red Bull did a bad job of disciplining Verstappen after the incident. The McLaren team was very vocal in the analysis of the accident itself. They reposted a video of the analysis by Sky Sports. This is very unusual for an F1 team. But McLaren did it anyway.
Is there tension between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris?
There is no question that Lando Norris is looking to challenge Max Verstappen for the Championship this year. So the 2 drivers should be prepared to lay it all on the line at every race. But they are also good friends off the track.
Right after the incident, both drivers had plenty of adrenaline running through their bodies and were naturally a bit frustrated with each other. However, as the drivers came to Silverstone for the British GP, they made their priorities very clear. Here’s what Max Verstappen said a week after the incident:
“The only thing that I care about in my life is that I’m getting on well with Lando. I woke up already quite early because I wanted to talk to Lando but he already texted me, in the morning on Monday. I respected that a lot. And we are great friends. He’s a very nice guy, honestly. We immediately spoke on Monday and I think we came to the conclusion that we actually really enjoyed our battle. “
“The only thing that I care about in my life is that I’m getting on well with Lando.”
Max Verstappen on the incident With Lando Norris during last week’s Austrian Grand Prix
“I woke up already quite early because I wanted to talk to Lando but he already texted me, in the… pic.twitter.com/tBSV78FE61
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) July 4, 2024
Both Lando and Max are very good friends off the track. This doesn’t mean that they will be nice to each other on the track. So it is natural for tensions to rise. But at the end of the day, they know who they are to each other and where their priorities lie.
Both the drivers have put the incident behind them and are looking forward to the Championship battle for the rest of the season.
Rohit Kumar 
Sara Chavan