In the aftermath of the collision between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris at Austrian GP, a lot of speculation ensued about their friendship. Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner, however, reveals that they had a word with each other and that things seem to have settled down.
That being said, Horner was only willing to vouch for his own driver. He explained that while there is no problem from Verstappen’s side anymore, he cannot comment on whether or not Norris feels the same way.
Horner said, “They’ve spoken already, I don’t think there’s any issue, certainly from Max’s side.”
The 50-year-old added that what happened between the two in Spielberg won’t change the way Verstappen approaches racing in the future. “He’s not gonna change. He’s a tough racer,” he added.
Christian Horner on Max and Lando:
“They’ve spoken already, I don’t think there’s any issue, certainly from Max’s side. He’s not gonna change. He’s a tough racer.”
“There’s an element, I think, of Lando learning how to race Max. They’re just discovering that.” pic.twitter.com/xeMylblKyq
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) July 2, 2024
The Red Bull boss went on to say that Norris has to get used to racing wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen. But the McLaren driver expressed that he was disappointed with Verstappen’s driving last Sunday. He was expecting the fight to be tough and fair, but to him, Verstappen was anything but that.
Verstappen on the other hand, doesn’t think he was at fault, and Horner’s comments further prove that. However, if that is the case, their friendship could take a hit down the road as Norris may not take these altercations too kindly in the future.
F1 insider believes Verstappen and Norris will clash once again
After the Austrian GP, Norris insisted that if Verstappen defended his stance, he would lose respect for him. Their friendship, which was otherwise strong before the incident was in danger of being jeopardized. Verstappen, however, stood his ground and slammed the FIA for handing him a ten-second penalty for the collision.
This difference in opinion between the two has raised concern for former F1 driver and Sky Sports presenter Martin Brundle. He believes that the hostilities from Austria won’t die down and that the two will have more incidents in the coming races.
: Martin Brundle questions if tensions between Jos Verstappen and Christian Horner affected Max Verstappen’s performance at the Austrian GP, following their latest public spat. Verstappen collided with Norris amid controversial moves, maintaining his championship lead despite a… pic.twitter.com/NsuUlO8kjY
— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) July 2, 2024
Brundle also feels that the behind-the-scenes tussle between Jos Verstappen (Max’s father) and Horner rose to the surface and pushed the 26-year-old Red Bull driver to deal with Norris the way he did in Spielberg.
