While Lando Norris and Max Verstappen have sorted their differences out after their collision in Austria, their respective bosses are still keeping the verbal tussle going. Particularly, McLaren CEO Zak Brown has called out Red Bull team principal Christian Horner for encouraging the on-track maneuvers by Verstappen in Spielberg. While Verstappen got a time penalty for his aggressive defense against Norris, Horner stated on the post-race radio that the Briton did not “behave” correctly. This naturally did not go down well with Brown.
Speaking at the FIA presser in Silverstone, Brown stated, “Also disappointed that at such a great team like Red Bull that the leadership almost encourages it because you listen on the radio and what was said.” The American also highlighted that it is the team’s duty at the pit wall to inform their drivers about the Do’s and Don’ts as per the regulations.
Zak Brown takes a shot at Red Bull and says they lack respect
“We need to have respect for regulations and we’ve seen there be lack of respect, whether it’s financial regulations or you know sporting, on-track issues with fathers and things of that nature.”… pic.twitter.com/PcMD2jaKaH
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) July 5, 2024
However, Horner’s post-race radio to Verstappen felt more like Red Bull sweeping his mistakes under the carpet. Horner’s remarks do not come as a surprise though as team bosses often try to support their drivers by all means and in any incident.
Even Andrea Stella was quite supportive of Norris, who may not have gotten the blame for causing the collision but could have been smarter with his tactics.
How Norris got McLaren’s full support?
Stella was quite stern in his assessment of the Norris-Verstappen collision. He stated how everyone knew that it was Verstappen’s mistake except for a group of people, subtly pointing toward Red Bull. Meanwhile, Horner’s post-race radio had already become a huge talking point as he also deemed the 10-second penalty that Verstappen got as “harsh”.
However, from McLaren’s perspective, Stella and Co. could have helped Norris avoid this race-ending collision. The Briton was relentlessly attacking Verstappen for the lead after his second slow pit stop. He even tried a couple of lunges down the inside at Turn 3 but to no avail.
This is where the McLaren pit wall could have helped Norris to calm down a bit and try to re-assess his attacking plan. Overtaking around the outside of Turn 3 is quite difficult without a major pace advantage, which is what Norris tried to do, leading to the Lap 64 collision.
Verstappen Norris
Incredible scenes at the Red Bull Ring #F1 #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/YvD0dg2TUH
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 30, 2024
However, if he had stepped back for a couple of laps to save his battery power and try to attack Verstappen later, he would have had a better chance, given McLaren had the faster car and fresher tires. Besides, going down the inside at Turn 3 with a switch-over move would have given Norris the best shot to beat Verstappen, just like Charles Leclerc did in 2022.
Regardless, it all had to unravel for Norris and McLaren in the worst possible way, given the intensity of the battle with Verstappen.
