Lando Norris continues criticism of ‘little bit desperate’ and ‘reckless’ Max Verstappen

Lando Norris pulls into the pits with a rear right puncture

Lando Norris has criticised Max Verstappen for being “reckless” and “desperate” in their Austrian GP battle, but stopped short of saying he’d exposed a weakness in the Red Bull driver’s personality.

Norris and Verstappen went wheel-to-wheel for the victory at the Austrian Grand Prix after another late-race surge from Norris put the McLaren driver right on Verstappen’s rear wing.

Lando Norris: That’s for you guys to decide

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Challenging for the lead on several occasions into Turn 3, Norris was rebuffed by what he felt were double moves from the reigning World Champion.

Trying again on lap 64, Norris went around the outside of Verstappen into the Turn 3 braking zone only for the Dutchman to move left. The two made contact with both cars suffering rear tyre punctures.

Norris retired from the race while Verstappen, having pitted for fresh rubber, finished P5 despite a 10-second time penalty for causing the collision.

Asked by PlanetF1.com’s Thomas Maher if he had ‘exposed something of a weakness in Verstappen’s personality’ during their fight, Norris replied: “I don’t want to talk about it too much. That’s for you guys to decide.

“I do what I can, I’m trying to drive a good fair race, and it’s not what I got in return from his side.

“I don’t care about the rest. Honestly, it’s not for me to decide all the penalties and things like that. I feel like what he did was unfair for my side, three of the times, no warning was issued, he did it again the final time and ruined both our races.”

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He does, however, feel Verstappen’s actions during the Grand Prix were “reckless” and “desperate”.

“There are rules for what you’re not allowed to do and are allowed to do,” said Norris, “and he was doing things you’re not allowed to do and not getting penalised.

“I expect a tough battle against Max, I know what to expect, I expect aggression and pushing the limits and that kind of thing. But all three times he’s doing stuff which can easily cause an incident.

“And in a way it’s a bit reckless, it seems like a little bit desperate from his side. He doesn’t need to be, he’s got plenty of wins, you know, but a bit desperate to do what he could to not let me pass and I know it’s gonna be aggressive. So I’m in a way not surprised.

“But I just expected a tough, fair, respectful, on-the-edge bit of racing, and I don’t feel like that’s what I got here.”

Asked if he planned to clear the air with the Dutchman, he replied: “It’s not for me to say, it’s for him to say.

“He’s always been a bit like that. I respect Max a lot and what he can do and what he goes out and does every time he’s on track, but there’s times when I think he goes maybe a little bit too far. And I feel like today is a little bit of that.

“It’s one incident and at the same time I know these things happen. [But] I’m disappointed. He ruined my race.”

And it could yet have far-reaching consequences with Norris’ MCL38 suffering extensive right-rear damage.

“[He] destroyed my car,” he continued. “These are the best bits on the car for the bin. We don’t have a lot of space in the battle that we’re in, in terms of upgrades and budget cap and things like that.

“My whole car is destroyed and these are all the bits that we need for next week.

“It’s not just a repercussion of what happens on the track, it’s everything that we have to carry in Silverstone and be disadvantaged by us.”

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