Ted Kravitz says McLaren rivalry with Red Bull has ‘exploded’ after Zak Brown comments

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Lando Norris and Max Verstappen collided at the Austrian Grand Prix in an incident that may ignite a new rivalry within Formula 1. The two have been competing for victories since Miami, but this was the first real flashpoint.

Norris initially demanded that Verstappen apologise for his role in the crash, having earned a 10-second penalty from the stewards. The McLaren driver had to retire with damage from the lap-64 incident, but the Red Bull star was able to salvage fifth and extend his championship lead by 10 points.

Speaking to the media at Silverstone, though, Norris backtracked. He attributed some of his remarks to the heat of the moment, and said an apology wasn’t necessary.

The two drivers had discussed the clash shortly after the race, and seemed to be on good terms again ahead of the British Grand Prix. Martin Brundle feels that Norris handed Verstappen a psychological victory in the process.

The gap between the two in the drivers’ standings is 81 points. Since the introduction of the new points system in 2010, no driver has come back from a margin greater than 46.

The battle in the constructors’ championship may be of greater interest. McLaren are third right now – 87 points adrift – but have outscored Red Bull over the last five events.

Ted Kravitz stunned by Zak Brown’s Christian Horner remarks at British Grand Prix

During the team principals’ press conference on Friday (FIA), McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said he was ‘disappointed’ at what Red Bull told Verstappen on the team radio after the Norris incident. They accused the Briton of not ‘behaving correctly’ and called the world champion ‘desperately unlucky’.

Brown also implied that his counterpart Christian Horner had shown ‘a lack of respect’, referencing Red Bull’s breach of the cost cap in 2021 and the recent spat with Jos Verstappen. The ex-F1 driver accused Horner of preventing him from driving in the legends’ parade at the Red Bull Ring amid ongoing tension.

Ted Kravitz offered his reaction to Brown’s ‘explosive’ statements as Sky Sports F1 covered FP2 on Friday. While he stopped short of criticising Verstappen, his comments about the team leadership are unlikely to go down well.

“Between the championship rivals, McLaren and Red Bull, it’s exploded,” he said. “Zak Brown has gone for Red Bull boss Christian Horner, criticising the way he runs his Red Bull team, talking about arguments with the driver’s dad and questioning Red Bull’s instructions and judgements.

“To be fair, Zak was very careful not to criticise Max Verstappen himself […] My goodness, in F1 town, the championship rivalry between McLaren and Red Bull has well and truly exploded.”

Kravitz spots something ‘very significant’ on McLaren car at Silverstone

McLaren know that the development war will be central to their battle with Red Bull. They need to put Norris in a position to be able to go wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen more regularly.

The Bulls have introduced a new floor this weekend as they try to once again build a gap at the front. McLaren, meanwhile, don’t appear fully satisfied with a new part they introduced in Austria.

Kravitz says it’s ‘very significant’ that Norris tested the old front wing with an aero rake during FP1. It may indicate that the newer model isn’t performing as well as expected.

McLaren will hope to provide the kind of competition Red Bull haven’t really faced since their duel with Mercedes in 2021. Many drivers felt Verstappen crossed the line in his battles with Lewis Hamilton that year, battles that were at the heart of the tension between the two teams.