What Red Bull Sport boss Helmut Marko criticizes about McLaren driver Lando Norris’ radio communication and why Marko is unhappy with the FIA stewards
It was a “real pleasure” to watch Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in their “intense duel” for the lead in the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg, writes Red Bull Sport boss Helmut Marko in his Speedweek column. For him, however, this duel had one flaw: Norris’ comments towards the McLaren command post
According to Marko, Norris was “far too whiny” when complaining about Verstappen’s behavior on the racetrack. “I’ve held Lando Norris in high regard so far, but it’s a slight disappointment for me to whine like that on the radio during a duel,” says Marko. In an interview with oe24.at, he even described Norris’ demeanor as “pathetic”.
And Marko sees the responsibility for the incident primarily in the “already far too complicated rules in Formula 1”, as he says. “Perhaps it could have all ended differently. For example, I would have liked the track limits penalty for Norris to have been imposed more quickly, then there would not have been this escalation. “
Marko: There was no outcry in Spain
Marko believes that the stewards of the FIA have a duty here: “With all the means available to the stewards, a decision should have been made more quickly.”
The fact that Verstappen was ultimately penalized for the contact with Norris is questionable in his view, considering “what happened beforehand,” said Marko. He refers to the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona and says: “People perhaps forget that Norris is not a child of sadness. [At the start in Spain, he pushed Max into the grass. There was no outcry or sanctions back then. “
What if the drivers sort it out among themselves?
However, Red Bull could have acted better in Spielberg, admits Marko. Perhaps the team should have informed Verstappen about the investigation against Norris and “that Norris is very likely to receive a penalty”. Then Verstappen could have let Norris go. “But something like that doesn’t [actually] fit in with the DNA of Max Verstappen,” says Marko.
His conclusion: an action-packed duel between two drivers who were “on the limit, sometimes over the limit” was “ultimately preferable to a dull race”, says Marko. “I’m a fan of the motto: let them fight.”
“We must not forget: It’s slowed down to low speed there, there was no opponent nearby, the run-off zone is large, there was no real danger. So why not let them fight it out? “