Lando Norris dismisses the need for an apology from Max Verstappen, highlighting his distinct approach on the F1 grid.
Lando Norris reflected on his clash with Max Verstappen during the Austrian Grand Prix. The McLaren F1 driver acknowledged that he was bracing for a battle unlike those he encounters with other drivers.
“We’ve reviewed things several times. I’ve learned a lot. There are many things I had anticipated and knew,” stated the British driver.
“When you fight against different people, you battle differently at the top compared to when you are a bit further back as we have been these last few years or so. But at the same time, Max drives in a very different way compared to many others. That’s partly why he is champion.”
Norris confirmed that he and Verstappen had spoken after the incident, and he explained that his anger had subsided: “Yes, we did. We talked on Monday and we talked on Wednesday. It’s between us, but nothing changes in our relationship.”
“Honestly, I don’t think he needed to apologise. Some of the things I said in the Parc Fermé after the race were more because I was frustrated at that moment, a lot of adrenaline, a lot of emotions and I probably said things I didn’t necessarily believe, especially later in the week.”
“It was tough. It’s a rather pathetic incident that ended both our races. It wasn’t a strike, it wasn’t obvious contact. It was probably one of the smallest contacts you could have, but with terrible consequences for both of us, especially for me.”
“He doesn’t need to apologise. I do not expect an apology from him. I don’t think he should apologise. I found it to be, as I said, a good race, sometimes very close to the limit, but as I said, we’ve talked about it and we’re both happy to get back to racing.”
The FIA must be aware that it “can go wrong,” Norris believes the accident was avoidable, reminding us of the FIA’s responsibility in such cases: “I think it was still very clear that this would happen, but it’s a tricky situation. Max doesn’t want us to crash; he doesn’t want to ruin his own race and his chances.”
“I think yes, there are certainly things I need to do slightly differently, but ultimately, I don’t think he will change much, I don’t think I need to change much. Could we have avoided the accident? Definitely, because I could have used the kerb.”
“But there are things that we wanted to do better or slightly differently on both sides, but overall, I think avoiding an incident by moving under braking is probably the biggest part of the problem.”
“There could very easily be an incident as a result of such a thing, and I think the only thing we need to be very careful about is something that could happen. So, it’s something for the future and something that the stewards and the FIA need to be aware of, that something could easily go wrong.”
“So, I think up to a certain point, you defend, you’re aggressive, and that’s fine, but there will be a time when there will be a limit, and I think it needs to be defined a bit more precisely.”
Verstappen was handed a 10-second penalty that changed nothing in his race, and Norris thinks the consequences should be considered: “It’s tough. Sometimes we say it needs to be done, sometimes we say it shouldn’t, as drivers.”
“Sometimes, we don’t want consequences to be considered, but other times, I think they should be. It’s a very difficult question because our incident was so minor that, for what it was, I don’t think it should have been a big penalty or even probably a penalty.”
“But considering it took me out of the race and removed any chance of winning the race, that definitely adds a lot more to the facts. If he had a sufficient lead and could continue the race, I think that needs to be taken into account. It’s something we’ll need to discuss, I’m sure.”
Verstappen’s Unique F1 Style: Norris Holds No Grudge. Verstappen’s Unique F1 Style: Norris Holds No Grudge
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