Lando Norris was furious with Max Verstappen following their shunt at the Austrian GP, but the latter remained a calm figure. The Dutchman also revealed that he was open to having a dialogue with Norris once things calmed down a notch, hinting at the fact that he knows it was his mistake.
On the F1: Chequered Flag Podcast, Verstappen told Lawrence Barretto, “Yeah, of course, we will talk about it. At the moment, I think it’s not the right point. It’s better, I think, to cool off, ideally.”
However, Verstappen may have to wait a long time. McLaren and Norris don’t look like they’ll let go of their anger anytime soon as Team Principal Andrea Stella was full of criticism in the aftermath of the incident. His measured criticism of Verstappen and his antics earned plaudits from several notable F1 figures including Damon Hill and David Croft.
Ah! I recognise that sound. It’s the sound of reason and respect. Well done AS who echoed almost exactly what MB said. But we’ve been here before. Nothing will change. Some people just don’t get it. Good race though! #f1 https://t.co/Xuxz6nhllQ
— Damon Hill (@HillF1) June 30, 2024
On the other hand, Verstappen being so calm about the incident could have an undertone to it, as pointed out by former Williams driver Jack Aitken.
‘Max Verstappen knows he was in the wrong’
Later on in the podcast, Aitken noted a ‘guilty’ tone in Verstappen’s voice. The lack of accusations in the 26-year-old’s comments made him feel that he was in the wrong, which is why he feels that having a look at the incident again is the right choice for Verstappen.
Lando Norris and Max Verstappen might have just had their Hamilton/Rosberg moment today based on these post-race interview answers #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/RO5dGXf4Qq
— Douglas Reyes-Ceron (@dreyesceron) June 30, 2024
Verbally, however, Verstappen hasn’t admitted his fault. He thinks he was racing hard, and claimed that he wasn’t going to sit back and let Norris take P1 away from him.
Given everything that has transpired since the closing laps of the Austrian GP, the upcoming race in Silverstone is gaining more hype. An out-and-out rivalry could soon take shape between Red Bull and McLaren, as tensions from Austria will certainly carry forward to Britain.
