Max Verstappen “couldn’t care less” about the criticism he received after the Austrian Grand Prix in Formula 1. According to him, his only concern is his friendship with Lando Norris.
The Red Bull driver and his McLaren rival clashed at the Red Bull Ring last week after a heated battle for the lead between the two ended in a collision on lap 64.
The incident in turn 3 resulted in a puncture for both drivers. Verstappen was able to continue after a pit stop and finish fifth, despite a 10-second penalty. Norris, however, had to get out of the car with damage.
Verstappen’s aggressive defence put him in the firing line of many, with McLaren boss Andrea Stella in particular claiming the Dutchman had only acted this way because he had not been penalised for similar incidents in 2021.
Although the crash has sparked much debate, Verstappen said he is immune to criticism.
Instead, he said it was important that he spoke to Norris to discuss the events, as it was important to him that the incident not affect their close friendship.
Asked about the criticism of the past few days, Verstappen said: “I don’t give a damn. I’m going home, I’m living my life. And the only thing I care about is my relationship with Lando.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, battle for the lead
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Verstappen said the two had spoken on Monday and that after discussing everything that had happened, they decided they would continue racing in a similarly robust manner going forward.
“I think we came to the conclusion that we actually really enjoyed our fight,” he said. “We looked at the incident and it was such a foolish gesture that obviously had huge consequences for both of us.
“But we love racing hard. We’ve been doing this for years, not only in Formula 1, but also online racing, where we had a lot of fun together. These things have to continue, because that’s what we love to do. And I think it’s great for Formula 1 as well.”
Norris had softened his criticism of Verstappen ahead of the British GP, but the Dutchman indicated the two agreed on almost every aspect of their battle.
“We agree on 99% of everything,” he said. “And of course I always said to Lando, if you’re going to move on the inside or on the outside, you can trust that I’m not going to be there to pull you out of the way. It’s the same the other way around, because we’ve talked about that too.
“Of course there’s always a human reaction when someone dives from the inside or the outside, that you react to it a little bit. But I felt that everything I did wasn’t over the top.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 1st position, Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 3rd position, post-Sprint chat
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
“Of course, just like when you design a car, you try to push the boundaries of the rules. Maybe you find some grey areas here and there, just like with a car, and that’s the same with racing – because otherwise you’ll never be a top driver and you’ll never be successful in life anyway.”
Verstappen complained on the radio about the dive bomber that Norris had fired at him. According to him, he mainly wanted to get the FIA to intervene in his own case.
“You always speak for your own benefit,” he smiled. “That’s what he did. That’s what I did. We all understand that.”
Asked how the duo would race each other in the future, Verstappen said: “We’re going for it. That’s what we agreed on. Because we like to do that. That’s also good for Formula 1.”