Max Verstappen apology predicted with ex-driver defending ‘extreme’ attitude

Max Verstappen waves at the fans

Ex-GP2 champion Davide Valsecchi has predicted Max Verstappen will apologise to Lando Norris in the coming days over their Austrian Grand Prix, but added he loves his uncompromising attitude in wheel-to-wheel combat.

Norris and Verstappen tagged wheels while fighting for the lead at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday, causing a puncture for both drivers as they were forced back to the pit lane late on – Norris being forced to retire while Verstappen came home fifth.

Former GP2 champion predicts Max Verstappen apology to Lando Norris

Former Red Bull and McLaren driver David Coulthard explained that Verstappen would be unlikely to apologise to his friend and rival after they came together at the weekend, though Valsecchi gave his view as to why the Dutch driver may take another view – after extending praise on how he goes racing.

“To be honest, I’m hoping that is never going to change Verstappen,” Valsecchi explained on the F1 Nation podcast.

“I mean, everyone in the paddock knows that if you want to overtake Verstappen, you need to be extreme and your move has to be the move of your career. If not, you cannot do the overtake.

“We know the aggressivity and how hard Verstappen is to respond to the attack, and I think that is the key point of his strength.

“He’s a champion now but today proved that sometimes in the track he’s almost unbeatable, in his mind he’s almost unbeatable.

“When he’s leading the race he’s ended up that ‘we are both out or I’m winning’ – and I love this attitude.

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“I know that for someone it can be too extreme, but everyone in the paddock knows and respects this fact: If we want to beat him, we have to be extreme. If not, we are going to end up in the wall.”

Valsecchi believes the move from Verstappen to defend from Norris on this occasion was “over the limit”, but added that he is a huge fan of the Red Bull driver’s approach to racing – reminding him of the uncompromising but all-time great Michael Schumacher.

With that, he believes Verstappen realised that his move may have been an error too, which is where his belief that an apology may be on the way stems from.

“The manoeuvre, the defence of Verstappen was too much they were over the limit, he got penalised for that. Yeah, I agree with you,” he added when the penalty was put to him.

“For sure that was a mistake, and [it] seems that from his words just after the race, he realised it.

“Usually in the past he’s been very aggressive to say ‘no, no. FIA was wrong. My manoeuvre was fine.’

“He didn’t say anything. Probably in the next few days he is going to say sorry to Norris.

“I think we are missing it from [the title battle of] Verstappen against Hamilton, this type of feeling, it’s three years that we are missing that someone is able to challenge Max Verstappen on the overtakes and on this manoeuvre, and I am happy to say that probably Norris today matched his level, a championship level.

“Now he’s three-time World Champion he’s for sure more calm. But when the baton raises up so much, he’s every time ready to overtake the limit of the sport of the fairness to defend his position? I love that.

“I’m sorry, but I love that. I mean, seems like Michael Schumacher that was every time close to the limit and sometimes over to defend the victory in the position. I mean, it’s the fact of this Formula 1, we have a type of driver like this. I love it.”

Regarding their relationship, both drivers have said they are likely to talk about the collision in the coming days before Silverstone this weekend, and Valsecchi wants this to not prove to be a moment that sours their friendship.

“I hope not,” he said. “They are good mates, they travel together with the private jets, they play together sometimes on eSports games.

“I mean, yeah, I think that in two or three days, Verstappen is going to say sorry to Norris.”

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