Max Verstappen Accused of ‘Lack of Respect’ After Collision With Lando Norris During 2024 Austrian GP

Max Verstappen Accused of ‘Lack of Respect’ After Collision With Lando Norris During 2024 Austrian GP

The gloves are finally off between championship contenders Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. The duo was locked into a battle for the race win at the 2024 Austrian GP which ended with contact, controversy, and a surprise George Russell victory.

After a botched final pitstop, Verstappen found himself being hounded by the MCL38 of Norris in the final phase of the Grand Prix. After multiple attempts to pass the Dutchman on the inside, the #4 driver tried a move around the outside of Verstappen going into turn three on lap 64.

However, this move went south pretty quickly as the rear tires of the RB20 and MCL38 came into contact – giving both drivers a puncture. Russell jumped into the lead soon, as the leading pair pitted for repairs.

Controversy has raged ever since about who was at fault. According to former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer, it was Verstappen who was guilty of not showing enough respect to his competitor. Palmer said, “Lando is still showing [Max] the respect. Max wasn’t showing the same respect to Lewis in 2021 that Lando is showing.”

He went on to add, “It’s the gray areas that Max is operating in. Like he was in 2021.” 

The F1 community remains divided, but the consensus is that Verstappen was more aggressive than he should have been. Norris in particular, was disappointed with how Verstappen handled the duel. He also stated that he would lose respect for the Dutchman if he didn’t admit to his mistake.

Lando Norris feels let down by Max Verstappen after 2024 Austrian GP clash

After the race, both, Norris and Verstappen remained adamant that they were not at fault for the incident. The Briton expressed his disappointment at how Verstappen acted whilst taking a sly dig at the 26-year-old’s racing etiquette.

As reported by Autosport, Norris said, “I’m in a way not surprised. But I just expected a tough, fair, respectful on the edge bit of racing and I don’t feel like that’s what I got him into. He’s always been a bit like that.”

Norris seems to have come off worse in their Austrian GP tussle. Verstappen managed to finish in fifth place, bagging the consolation of ten world championship points. Norris on the other hand, took a heavy hit as he retired from the Grand Prix.

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Austrian GP Lando Norris Max Verstappen

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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