Verstappen's Austrian GP penalty sparks debate: Horner defends hard racing

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

The recent Austrian Grand Prix saw a dramatic clash between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, leading to a controversial penalty for the Dutch driver. Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing's team principal, has spoken out against the stewards' decision to hand Verstappen a 10-second time penalty, insisting that the incident was merely "hard racing.".

"Hard racer" Verstappen

Verstappen and Norris were locked in a fierce battle for the lead when the collision occurred, resulting in significant damage to both cars. The stewards, upon reviewing the incident, deemed Verstappen "predominantly" at fault and subsequently issued the penalty. However, Horner was quick to defend his driver:

"I think Max is a hard racer, and they know that," Horner said. He highlighted the competitive nature of the duel, recalling their earlier encounter in the sprint race on Saturday.

Pointing to Norris' aggressive approach, Horner suggested that the McLaren driver had been pushing the boundaries, especially given his own penalty for repeatedly exceeding track limits.

"I think it's inevitable they were [going to clash] how close they've been racing the last few weeks. It's a shame. Lando was already on four strikes. I think he was probably going to get a five-second penalty anyway. And I would say it was a racing incident," Horner remarked.

Despite the penalty, Verstappen managed to secure a fifth-place finish, with the punishment having no significant impact on his race, already marred by a puncture.

Horner expressed frustration over the penalty but took solace in the overall outcome of the race:

"Thankfully it didn't affect his race had already been damaged by the puncture that he picked up. So very frustrating. But on a day that neither of his main opponents scored, we still took home 10 points in the drivers', 16 in the constructors', and I think McLaren only gained two points on us."

The aftermath of the incident will likely dominate discussions leading to the British Grand Prix. Norris, expressing his disappointment, hinted at the potential strain on his relationship with Verstappen:

"He would lose respect for Verstappen if the Dutchman refused to take responsibility for the clash," Norris stated on Sunday evening.

When asked about the impact of the incident on their friendship, Horner was optimistic:

"Maybe they won't play padel tomorrow, but I'm sure they'll talk about it. They're two hard racers, they'll talk about things openly, I've got no doubt about that."

In a lighter vein, Horner addressed recent comments by Silverstone boss Stuart Pringle about Verstappen's dominance affecting ticket sales for the British Grand Prix.

"If they can't sell tickets now, then they're properly in the s---!" Horner joked, anticipating another thrilling race weekend.

As the racing world gears up for Silverstone, the tensions from Austria are sure to add an extra layer of excitement to the upcoming British GP.

Up Next