Adrian Newey casts ‘fractious’ verdict on Max Verstappen v Lando Norris clash

Happier times? Adrian Newey and Max Verstappen smile for the cameras at the 2022 United States Grand Prix

Outgoing Red Bull man Adrian Newey has refused to blame either Max Verstappen and Lando Norris for their Austrian Grand Prix clash.

And he has claimed that the incident was simply “one of those where everybody was getting a little bit fractious.”

Adrian Newey weighs in on Max Verstappen vs Lando Norris

Verstappen and Norris came to blows in the closing laps of the race in Austria last Sunday, with a small collision resulting in punctures for both drivers and opening the door for George Russell to claim Mercedes’ first victory since November 2022.

While Norris retired after making his way to the pits, Verstappen ended up extending his lead over the McLaren driver to 81 points by finishing fifth despite being hit with a 10-second penalty for causing a collision.

The opinion has split opinion among F1 observers, with McLaren team principal Andrea Stella claiming the incident stemmed from the FIA’s failure to punish Verstappen”properly” for a series of clashes with Lewis Hamilton in 2021, emboldening the Red Bull driver to race with such uncompromising aggression.

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Red Bull boss Christian Horner, meanwhile, sympathised with Verstappen by claiming Norris “didn’t behave correctly” in a message to his driver of team radio, with Helmut Marko describing Norris’s complaints about Verstappen’s driving as “pathetic.”

Horner has since provided an update on the saga, revealing Verstappen and Norris have “spoken already” and that there is no issue between the drivers ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where the pair were separated by 3.7 seconds last year.

Newey, who announced in May that he will leave Red Bull in early 2025 after a successful 19-year spell, is convinced the relationship between Verstappen and Norris will “be fine” going forward.

He told Sky F1: “I would imagine Max and Lando may well have probably had a little chat and sorted it.

“They’re both great lads, they will have sorted it out among themselves.

“It was one of those where everybody was getting a little bit fractious, but not to allocate blame at all. I think it’s just one of those things.

“They’re both great drivers and they’ll be fine.”

Newey’s comments come after he revealed he plans to decide on his next move by the winter at the latest amid links to the likes of Ferrari and Aston Martin.

The terms of Newey’s departure from Red Bull – negotiated by his manager, the former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan – will allow him to join another team as soon as 2025, allowing him to play an instrumental role in the development of an F1 2026 car ahead of the major regulation changes planned for that season.

Having been heavily linked with Ferrari, it emerged last month that Newey had been treated to a secret tour of Aston Martin’s factory at Silverstone after owner Lawrence Stroll had reportedly tabled a substantial offer over the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend in March.

Asked if he will know his next destination by autumn and winter, Newey said: “That’s certainly a target. By then I’ll need to make my mind up.”

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