Norris gives TELLING response over Verstappen F1 crash

McLaren star Lando Norris has played down the incident between himself and Max Verstappen at the Austrian Grand Prix.

The pair collided on lap 64 in Spielberg, ultimately handing the race victory to Mercedes' George Russell, with Verstappen finishing down in fifth and Norris left out of the race.

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Verstappen's driving style has been criticised in the week since the incident, with pundits and fellow racers alike calling for harsher punishment for the three-time world champion.

The Dutchman was handed a 10-second time penalty, while Norris said in the aftermath of the race he would lose respect for his good friend Verstappen if he didn't accept responsibility.

Norris unsure on Verstappen penalty

Now, Norris has suggested both his and Verstappen's reaction in the immediate aftermath were due to adrenaline and emotions getting the better of them.

McLaren boss Andrea Stella called for harsher punishment for Verstappen after the Austrian GP, drawing comparisons with Verstappen's battles with Lewis Hamilton back in 2021.

When asked ahead of the British GP whether Verstappen should have been given a bigger penalty for his role in the incident, Norris replied: “It’s tough. Sometimes we say it should be, sometimes we say it shouldn’t be, as drivers.

“At times you don’t want the consequence to be taken into account, but also at times I think it should definitely be taken into account.

“It’s a very tough one because our incident was so tiny so, for what it was, I don’t think it really should have been a big penalty at all or probably even if a penalty in the end of the day.

"But, considering it put me out of the race and took me out of the chance of winning the race, it definitely adds a lot more just to the facts," Norris continued. If he had a big enough lead and could still go on the race, I still think it needs to be taken into account.

"It’s something I’m sure we’ll have to speak [about]."

Asked to clarify whether he actually still felt Verstappen should have been penalised at all, Norris replied: "No comment!"

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