‘Are you blind?’ – Lando Norris, Max Verstappen tensions revealed in unheard Austrian GP team radio

Images that precede unfortunate events: Max Verstappen leads Lando Norris in Austria

Unearthed team radio from Lando Norris and Max Verstappen has revealed how tensions were running high in the aftermath of their dramatic Austrian Grand Prix collision.

Verstappen and Norris collided while duelling for the lead on Lap 64 of 71 in Austria, with both drivers suffering punctures in the incident at Turn 3 at the Red Bull Ring.

Uncovered: Lando Norris and Max Verstappen Austrian GP team radio tensions

The contact opened the door for George Russell to take Mercedes’ first victory since the penultimate round of the F1 2022 season.

Norris retired after crawling back to the pits, while Verstappen was classified fifth – extending his lead in the Drivers’ standings over Norris to 81 points – having been hit with a 10-second penalty for causing a collision.

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Dramatic new footage has revealed how tensions were running high for both Norris and Verstappen in the moments after the collision, with the McLaren driver snapping at his race engineer Will Joseph, asking at one stage if his colleague was “blind” after a request to change a setting on his steering wheel.

The full interaction, which took place in the seconds after the clash with Verstappen as Norris drove back to the pits at reduced pace, is as follows:

Norris: Yeah, the car’s f*cked.

Joseph: No, it’s just a puncture, puncture. Box this lap, box this lap.

Norris: Yeah, I don’t know what. I’m gonna ****** the car, mate. I don’t want to ****** the car, OK?

Joseph: Keep going for now, please, keep going for now.

Joseph: Red-A10, please. Red-A10.

Norris: I’m in RedA-10, mate! Are you blind?

Norris: It’s too much damage, OK? It’s better just… Just better retire now. Let’s not waste mileage if it’s… if we can’t get points, there’s no point doing it.

The race was under Virtual Safety Car conditions shortly after Verstappen rejoined the track following his change of tyres after the incident, with the three-time World Champion alarmed by his negative delta time under caution.

Verstappen complained that his Red Bull RB20 had no power, only for his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to reveal the three-time World Champion had inadvertently activated the pit-lane speed limiter.

The conversation went as follows:

Verstappen: Mate, my delta is f*cked!

Verstappen: I… I have no power. Hello?

Lambiase: Standby, Max.

Verstappen: Why am I in negative? What’s going on here?

Lambiase: Standby Max, standby.

Lambiase: OK, VSC ending, Max. And you had the pit-lane speed limiter on.

Verstappen and Norris are expected to do battle once again at this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where the pair finished first and second respectively a year ago.

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