What many F1 drivers said about Max Verstappen’s 2021 tactics amid Lando Norris fallout

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Max Verstappen may have to defend his wheel-to-wheel tactics when he faces the media ahead of the British Grand Prix. They’re in the spotlight again after he collided with Lando Norris at the end of the previous race in Austria.

Verstappen expressed his unhappiness on the radio at what he felt were ‘dive bomb’ manoeuvres from the McLaren driver as they jostled for victory in the closing stages. Then, on lap 64, they made contact.

Norris tried to position his car on the outside of turn three this time, rather than lunging up the inside. But Verstappen came across too far to the left and hit the Englishman, with both cars suffering a puncture.

Despite receiving a 10-second penalty for the incident, the Dutchman has yet to take responsibility. His Red Bull team have also insisted he wasn’t at fault.

Over the radio, they accused Norris of failing to ‘behave correctly’. And executive director Helmut Marko said afterwards that the Miami GP winner was ‘a little more’ at fault.

Verstappen managed to finish fifth despite his penalty and puncture, such was the gap he and Norris had built up over the rest of the field. With his main rival retiring, he was actually able to extend his championship lead by 10 points.

Many F1 drivers thought Max Verstappen broke the rules in 2021

Many have drawn comparisons to the incidents between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in 2021. The Red Bull superstar battled the Mercedes legend for glory in what was an all-time classic campaign.

They were involved in three crashes over the course of the year. The first of those came at the British Grand Prix, when Hamilton received a 10-second penalty for a move at Copse that took Verstappen out of the race.

However, it was the Dutchman who received a grid drop after he ended both drivers’ races in Monza. And he was also penalised for his conduct when battling Hamilton in Saudi Arabia.

Andrea Stella believes the FIA should have clamped down on Verstappen’s tactics back then. And according to BBC Sport’s Andrew Benson, addressing fans in Q&A, many of his rivals were inclined to agree.

“McLaren team principal Andrea Stella drew a direct line between this incident and the controversial battles between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in 2021, when many of the other drivers thought Verstappen had, at times, broken the rules,” he said.

Christian Horner knew Verstappen was to blame for Lando Norris crash

Verstappen only received a penalty for the collision itself but Martin Brundle felt his conduct afterwards was ‘alarming’. The Dutchman appeared to force Norris onto the grass as both drivers limped back to the pits.

From the midpoint of the 2022 season until the early part of 2024, Verstappen enjoyed such a comfortable margin over the rest of the field that he rarely had to be aggressive in battle. Indeed, the sight of him even defending a position became unfamiliar.

But now that McLaren in particular have closed up, he’s under significant pressure. Prior to the race in Austria, he’d had to fend off Norris for victory in Montreal and Barcelona.

Privately, Christian Horner recognises that Verstappen was in the wrong last weekend. Journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm says it’s telling that he described it as a ‘racing incident’, because he would have ‘rampantly’ defended his driver if he had the chance.