Before their friendship hit a roadblock in Austria, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen were quite literally paddock buddies. The duo often went out for a game of padel and even live-streamed together during the COVID-induced lockdown. In his latest comment, Helmut Marko revealed how they even traveled together in Verstappen’s $15 million private jet. That, however, did not happen in the aftermath of the crash in the recently concluded Austrian GP.
Speaking with OE24, the Red Bull taskmaster said, “Norris’ comment that Max should apologize doesn’t really help. But they will meet for a chat.” Marko then further revealed, “No, normally they fly together, but this time they traveled separately. So Max [Verstappen] had a quiet return flight.”
Verstappen often referred to Norris as his best friend among all the drivers on the F1 grid. The Briton often returned the favor in his interviews as well.
Norris, however, put it all at stake with his response in the heat of the moment after the incident in Austria. In one of the post-race interviews, he revealed how he’d have to rethink his relationship with Verstappen if the Dutchman did not take responsibility for the crash.
Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko has been critical of Lando Norris’ comments via team radio during the Austrian Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver clashed with Max Verstappen in the closing stages of the race at the Red Bull Ring, with the lap 64 incident being judged to be the… pic.twitter.com/x8PumIPqyO
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) July 2, 2024
That, apparently, did not go down well with Verstappen. While he held his ground over the responsibility for the collision, his response to the question over his friendship with Norris was measured. Verstappen agreed to have a word with Norris but only when emotions were not high.
The incident led to the McLaren driver retiring from the race. Verstappen, however, was able to salvage his race by finishing P5. George Russell, meanwhile, took advantage of the situation to bag his second career victory and his first in Austria.
Max Verstappen-Lando Norris incident divides Dutch and English media
The late crash at the Red Bull Ring has not only seen the fans of both drivers engage in a slugfest on online forums but also the media and publications of their respective nations. While the English media ran a predominantly one-sided campaign blaming Verstappen for the crash, the Dutch publications have returned the favor.
The polarization might not turn out to be in Verstappen’s favor, though. The reason is the next destination Formula 1 will move on to is the British GP. There is a possibility the Dutchman might face several questions over the weekend, and also come under some added scrutiny throughout the weekend.
Norris, on the other hand, might land with a score to settle with the reigning champion. He too, like Verstappen, has the backing of his team, who emphatically blamed the other side for the crash. Moreover, McLaren are emerging as the challenger to Red Bull’s throne, which should be an added motivation to perform better.
