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Lawrence Edmondson, Formula 1 Editor
SILVERSTONE, Britain – McLaren chief executive Zak Brown believes the collision between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in Austria could have been avoided if Red Bull had intervened earlier in the race.
Norris and Verstappen collided during the race for the lead at the Austrian Grand Prix, resulting in punctured tyres for both drivers and Norris retiring from the race.
While Norris appears to have overcome the collision, Brawn believes the incident could have been avoided if stewards or the Red Bull team had warned Verstappen he was going beyond the limits of what was acceptable.
“Unless someone tells Max that this is against the rules, he won’t realize anything different. So I think there are missed opportunities that the supervisors should have been alerted to,” Brown said.
“I’m also disappointed because a great team like Red Bull, the leadership is almost cheering for them, because you listen to what’s being said on the radio.
“We are all responsible in front of the pit wall to tell our drivers what to do and what not to do and what happens in the race. I think we need to respect the regulations.”
Brawn appeared to be referring to a radio call between Verstappen, race engineer Gianpiero Lambiasi and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner after the race.
Speaking about Norris, Horner said on the radio: “He didn’t do it right there, Max. He was very unlucky but you did your best.”
Brawn further criticised Horner by drawing parallels between the incident in Austria and Red Bull’s breach of the cost cap in 2021 and an apparent mockery of the strained relationship between Red Bull’s team principal and Verstappen’s father, Jos.
“We have seen disrespect, whether it is financial regulations, sporting issues on the track with parents and things like that.
“I don’t think this is the way we should be going about the race, we need to guide our drivers on what is right and what is wrong, and I think if it had been addressed earlier, maybe this incident wouldn’t have happened.
“It was a racing incident, but I think it could have been avoided if the pit wall and the stewards had been more aware of what could and could not be done.”
Asked if he would raise the issue directly with Horner, Brawn said: “That’s the FIA’s role. I have no interest in speaking to Christian.”
Verstappen was given a 10-second penalty for causing the collision, which Brawn believed was appropriate given the way the Red Bull driver positioned his car on the entry to the corner.
“You’re supposed to give the driver the width of the car but he didn’t. It was unfortunate. It could have been just a little contact and he could have continued racing. But I thought it was the right penalty because that’s what the rules say.
“Again, I think Max is a fantastic racer, fighting for the lead. It is our responsibility as teams to show the drivers what their limits are. If they don’t do that, I don’t expect Max to do anything different.”
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