Lando Norris is demanding an apology from Max Verstappen for their collision during the final stages of the Austrian Grand Prix. However, former F1 driver and TV analyst David Coulthard doesn’t see that happening anytime soon. “An apology from Verstappen? Hell would freeze over first,” he believes.
Max Verstappen received a ten-second time penalty and two penalty points on his super license from the stewards for his role in the crash on Sunday. The two drivers collided at turn 3 of the Red Bull Ring, after Norris had already attempted to overtake twice unsuccessfully in the previous rounds. At the time, Verstappen was leading the race, closely followed by Norris. Both had to pit due to a punctured tire following the incident. Norris stated afterwards that he would lose his respect for Verstappen if an apology was not forthcoming.
David Coulthard’s Perspective on the Austrian GP Incident
David Coulthard doesn’t see it going far, he shared after the Austrian GP. “I think hell will freeze over first,” the Scot responded to Channel 4. “Max will say: ‘I was racing’. This is the first time Lando experiences what it’s like to race wheel-to-wheel, weekend in, weekend out. We know what it was like when Lewis Hamilton went wheel-to-wheel with Max. Max is one of the toughest racers, to beat him you have to match him.”
‘Avoidable Incidents’
According to Coulthard, both drivers were to blame for the incident. “There was that contact going into the corner. Then there was contact as soon as they went through the apex, both with flat tires and damage. They were avoidable incidents for both. It cost them both a lot of points.”
“Lando will complain that Max kept coming to the left and claim that he was squeezed. And you’re not allowed to do that while braking. Look, Max certainly pushed Lando over the track. If there had been a guardrail, they would both have been rammed off. But I understand that Max will say: ‘Wait a minute, he could have gone further out’. However, the stewards looked at it and imposed the sanction on Max.”
Next Sunday is the Grand Prix of Great Britain at the Silverstone circuit where Verstappen and Norris will meet again.
