F1 News: Racer requests Max Verstappen BAN after Lando Norris accident

Max Verstappen, Red Bull, Austria, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Racer requests Verstappen BAN after Norris accident

The fallout from the top two's incident has begun

Rhys Thomas

Tuesday 2 July 2024 01:00

A racing driver has called for Max Verstappen to receive a ban for his part in a collision with Lando Norris at the Austrian Grand Prix.

The Dutchman was in control of the race until lap 52, when a slow pitstop allowed Norris to close and apply pressure.

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Norris dived down the inside and the pair ran off track just laps before contact was made and both drivers suffered punctures and limped back to the pits.

This time, Verstappen was the offender in the eyes of pundits and stewards, who gave the reigning champion a 10-second time penalty.

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen collided late on in Austria

The Red Bull and McLaren drivers suffered punctures after their collision

Verstappen 'deliberately' forced Norris off

Drivers often do not take kindly to moves that can be perceived as intentional, and British racer Bradley Philpot believes Verstappen should be banned for his actions.

"Trying to run a car off the road who you’ve just crashed into, whilst you’re driving with a rear puncture, should be an instant race ban," he wrote on X.

Philpot is a two-time Nürburgring Endurance champion, as well as having a 24 Hours of Silverstone victory to his name.

"Max caused a crash and then deliberately forced the car he’d just crashed into to take to the grass on a straight," he claimed.

Trying to run a car off the road who you’ve just crashed into, whilst you’re driving with a rear puncture, should be an instant race ban.

Max caused a crash and then deliberately forced the car he’d just crashed into to take to the grass on a straight.

He hasn’t matured. He…
— Brad Philpot 🏎🏁 (@BradleyPhilpot) June 30, 2024

"He hasn’t matured. He simply had less competition for the last few years."

Verstappen attracted something of an unwanted reputation early in his F1 career for his aggressive and sometimes incident-prone driving.

He has not faced regular wheel-to-wheel combat for wins since 2021, when controversy shrouded the title battle with Lewis Hamilton after multiple crashes and near missed even before the infamous Abu Dhabi finale.

The Dutchman, though, has more than proven his ability and temperament as he has become a more experienced driver. On this occasion, however, he may have gone over the limit.

Red Bull Max Verstappen Mercedes McLaren Lando Norris Austrian Grand Prix