Lando Norris and Max Verstappen‘s clash on lap 64 in Austria is the hottest topic of discussion heading into this weekend’s British GP. Despite both suffering punctures, it was Norris who was forced to retire from the race, whereas Verstappen finished P5 to extend his lead in the Championship by 11 points. The general opinion is against the three-time World Champion, however, and Helmut Marko understands why the community is blaming Verstappen.
As quoted by Formu1a.uno, he said, “I would say that both drove unnecessarily hard. You could perhaps blame us. We knew that an investigation into track limits against Lando was underway. But we didn’t know if and how he would be punished.”
| Helmut Marko on the incident:
“You could perhaps blame us.
“We knew the investigation into track limits against Lando was underway.”https://t.co/4sZeNMTCY9
— formularacers (@formularacers_) July 1, 2024
However, he also mentioned how Norris was also to blame for his unnecessarily aggressive driving. This is the opinion that has divided the sport. Many believe the race leader was moving while braking which caused the collision, but Norris forced overtakes on that particular corner (turn three) several times before they made contact.
This is why Marko believes what Verstappen did was more within the permissible limit compared to the Brit. In retrospect, the Austrian outfit could’ve been instructed to let Norris by and stay within five seconds to secure a strategic win. However, for someone as competitive as the reigning champion, it’s a request he wouldn’t have taken too kindly or ignored completely.
Regardless, the collision was imminent with the way things were progressing. However, Christian Horner does not feel the need to assume any responsibility or accept blame.
Christian Horner contradicts Helmut Marko
Both Norris and Verstappen got their elbows out and made questionable moves which ended in disaster. One goat away with a slap on the wrist and one suffered the full brunt of it. But that doesn’t mean that Verstappen is the culprit, a feeling emphasized by Team Principal Horner.
As reported by Crash, he believes that a 10-second penalty was harsh and that his team has nothing to apologize for,
“I think it’s inevitable they were, how close they’ve been racing the last few weeks,” said Horner. “It’s a shame. Lando was already on four strikes. I think he was probably going to get a five-second penalty anyway. And I would say it was a racing incident. I thought it was a bit harsh that Max got a 10-second penalty.”
Predictable opinion from a Red Bull team member. However, is it justified or correct? While the entire F1 world keeps butting their heads over it, the fact of the matter is Verstappen extended his advantage in the standings. So did Red Bull on the constructor’s side of things. So in all, despite losing the race, the reigning champion won the battle.
