Will Max Verstappen apologise for Lando Norris clash? “We’ll talk about it”
“Of course, we’ll talk about it. It’s unfortunate that it happened.”
Max Verstappen says he will need to review the clash with Lando Norris when asked if he would apologise to the McLaren F1 driver following their incident at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Verstappen and Norris collided on the approach to Turn 3 on Lap 64 of the race.
It appeared that Verstappen veered slightly left in the braking zone into Norris’ path.
The contact resulted in punctures for both cars as they trundled back to the pit lane.
Norris was forced to retire due to sustaining significant damage, while Verstappen finished fifth.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the race, Verstappen was asked if he would apologise to Norris.
He replied: “I need to look back at how or why we touched. Of course, we’ll talk about it. It’s unfortunate that it happened.”
Verstappen also dismissed the idea that he’s being “pushed more than ever.”
“No. I’ve had a lot of battles in my career,” he added.
Verstappen was handed a 10-second time penalty for his role in the incident.
However, Verstappen seemed to disagree with the verdict and notion that he moved under braking.
“From the outside it’s hard to see when I brake. I know, in the past, it has always been a bit of a complaint,” he explained. “I always move my wheel before I brake. Then you brake in a straight line.
“It’s always easy to say, from the outside, that I am moving in the braking. I think the guy in the car knows best what he’s doing. Everyone can have their own opinion but I’m the one driving. I am best in control.
“It’s easy to judge and comment. But whatever.”
The battle between the pair was brewing up until their flashpoint on Lap 64.
Norris had attempted a number of ambitious divebombs into Turn 3, even pushing Verstappen off the track in the process.
When pressed on whether the battle was fair, Verstappen said: “Sometimes his divebombs, you saw on the brakes that sometimes he went straight and I had to go around, otherwise we would have touched.
“I think it’s also just the shape of the corner that provides these kind of issues. It’s never nice to come together.”
The first half of the race was plain-sailing for Verstappen as he led Norris by over six seconds.
However, a slow pit stop followed by a lock-up at Turn 4 put him on the back foot.
As a result, Verstappen was unhappy with the team for doing “so many things wrong”.
“We did so many things wrong,” he concluded. “From this strategy to really bad pit stops. Then, you put yourself in this position. That’s the worst bit about it. We created it for ourselves.
“The first stint wasn’t bad but it became worse and worse. We need to look into the car…”
