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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.
