What Red Bull team boss Christian Horner thinks about the incident involving Max Verstappen and Lando Norris with a little distance and what happens now
The incident involving Max Verstappen and Lando Norris at the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg is dominating the headlines in Formula 1. But those directly involved at Red Bull and McLaren are now relaxed about the scene, says team boss Christian Horner: “As far as I know, we’ve already spoken to each other. I don’t think there is a problem. “
That’s why he can’t understand why McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has sent harsh accusations towards Verstappen. “I think it’s wrong to label a driver like that,” said Horner on Sky.
“I’m sure it was frustrating for Andrea at first, but that’s just hard racing. He worked with Michael Schumacher [at Ferrari] for years. So he should know that particularly well.”
According to Horner’s theory, Schumacher has also repeatedly caused offense over the years with some questionable manoeuvres and a decidedly tough approach on the race track.
One example: at the 2004 San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Schumacher in a Ferrari pushed Juan-Pablo Montoya’s Williams over the kerb in the Tosa corner – and was emphatically stubborn in the press conference afterwards. The performance engineer on Schumacher’s car at the time: Stella
Is Verstappen simply out of practice?
But Horner sees such a performance on the racetrack as an accolade for a driver and says: “Max won’t change. He is a tough racer, one of the toughest ever. And everyone knows that when he takes on Max, he’s going to dish it out, big time.”
If Stella has a point with his criticism of Verstappen, it is most likely with reference to the 2021 season, according to Horner’s statements. Because Verstappen drove “incredibly hard” against Lewis Hamilton back then. “Since then, however, he has had practically no direct opponent because he was often ahead,” says Horner. In other words: Verstappen could have gotten a little out of practice here
On the other hand, there had already been signs “for two to four races” that McLaren would catch up with Red Bull and Verstappen with Norris. “The conflict between the two was simmering,” says Horner. From his point of view, it was “clear that it would come to blows at some point, and now it was just about to happen in turn 3.”
Horner: A repeat is not out of the question
But if so, then this incident showed Norris just how far Verstappen is prepared to go. “I think Lando will learn how to deal with Max. That’s what’s happening,” says Horner.
He predicts more scenes of this kind when he continues: “There will inevitably be close racing between the two in the next few races because the cars are similarly strong at the moment. “
So can Formula 1 fans at Silverstone look forward to a new edition of Spielberg? In any case, the incident in the battle for victory has not harmed advance ticket sales in England, on the contrary
How do the fans at Silverstone react to Verstappen?
The question remains as to what response Verstappen can expect at Silverstone. Horner: “I assume that the public will be as behind the British drivers as they were behind Max in the Netherlands. Nevertheless, there is always respect for the other drivers. I hope Max gets a good reception.”
However, “one way or another”, one can assume that the majority of the stands will be orange at the race weekend in Silverstone. “Maybe not for Max, but rather for McLaren,” says Horner. “But Max doesn’t care. He remains focused and will not change. He is simply a racer and will drive just as hard again this weekend. “
