Anthony Davidson Claims Lando Norris “Lost Confidence” Right Before He Attempted Final Blow on Max Verstappen

The Austrian GP battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris has become the talk of the town. Understandably so, the entire F1 world is revisiting the incident and reviewing the footage. Many are trying to understand who was at fault and where things went wrong. In his attempt to do the same, F1 expert Anthony Davidson has pointed out the McLaren man lost his confidence.

As seen on X, he put up a split window on the screen showcasing Norris‘ dashcam footage and a view of Verstappen’s rear wing. Davidson reviewed all the instances where the 24-year-old tried to pass the reigning champion.

In the second last attempt where Verstappen went off track but still stayed ahead, the former racer explained how Norris lost his confidence because of the earlier instances in the race.

“Now, I think, Lando has lost a little bit of confidence in who he’s racing if I’m honest. He moves out again, he should’ve stayed a lot closer to Max but he’s lost confidence I feel. So he’s going purposely much closer than he should’ve done to that corner. But he gets the braking spot on, he doesn’t go off the track and I don’t feel like he pushed Max off the track either.”, he said.

A very well explained video from Anthony pic.twitter.com/H4k0Bl2SYi

— F1Techy (@F1Techy) July 1, 2024

This was the overtaking attempt on the lap before the one they collided. So, the Dutchman stayed ahead despite gaining a minor advantage by going off track. However, the stewards did not deem that Verstappen gained a “lasting advantage” as per the sporting regulations.

Later, when the McLaren man got the inside line, the three-time champion was being accused of moving while braking. This illegal move ended Norris’ race and cost Verstappen the win. Talking about who was at fault – both drivers had their separate opinions.

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen both have different opinions on the Austrian GP matter

The Austrian GP could’ve very well been Lando Norris’ second race win of his career. If Verstappen won, it would’ve been his 62nd. A big difference between the two career tallies and this was highlighted in their post-race comments as well. The reigning champion was disappointed but relaxed and wanted to review the footage before making any comments. However, not Lando Norris!

The Brit was fuming and filled with rage. He was extremely disappointed by the results and openly blamed the Dutchman for his racing-ending collision. Norris even admitted he wouldn’t be opening the dialogue or extending his hand of friendship. Norris expects his friend to come up to him and explain himself and possibly apologize.

On-track incidents like these can easily drive a wedge between two drivers, no matter how strong their bond is. It will be interesting to see if their friendship survives this incident if neither assumes the responsibility. After all, these two are expected to be battling on the track regularly.