The spectacle in Spielberg was a feast for international audiences. The global press relished the ‘open warfare’ during the Austrian Grand Prix – the battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris has gripped Formula 1. The British driver was the big loser after the showdown on the Red Bull Ring. He finished without points at the bottom after a collision with his Dutch rival. The foreign media judge that ‘bad boy’ Verstappen had to fight again for his title.
The English from Daily Mail initially watched a rather unimpressive race. Max Verstappen seemed to be driving to his sixty-second victory after a win in the sprint race and the fastest time in qualifying. “Only in the fifty-first lap did the race come to life,” says the tabloid. “After a slow pit stop, his lead was reduced to a few seconds and Norris could smell victory. After yet another overtaking attempt, he collided with Verstappen. The stewards blamed the world champion – it was on the edge.”
The colleagues from The Guardian saw something different. “There will now rightly be questions asked about whether Verstappen becomes someone else when he is really put under pressure,” the newspaper wrote. “Lewis Hamilton will undoubtedly have an opinion on this, as he knows how ruthless the Dutchman is when it comes down to it.”
The Emergence of the ‘Killer Instinct’
“It’s now an open war between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris,” judged La Gazzetta dello Sport. “The duel at the Red Bull Ring marked the end of the peace between the two Formula 1 friends. This was bound to happen sooner or later. Max’s true nature came to the surface, the killer instinct that earned him the reputation of a bad boy at the beginning of his career.” However, the Italians emphasize that Norris is not entirely blameless. “He was a bit naive,” according to La Gazzetta. “He had tried to overtake Verstappen at that point twice before and both times he ended up outside the track limits.”
‘Where two quarrel, both are to blame’, the Spaniards from Marca stated. “Max Verstappen is not immortal, but you have to kill him three times to bring him down and even then he keeps going,” the newspaper referred to the many overtaking attempts by Lando Norris. “There is no title fight yet, but it is a spectacle. It’s no longer the same person winning everything.”
‘Stop Complaining, Just Accelerate’
Our Eastern neighbors realized that Norris was the faster driver in Austria on Sunday. However, the defensive qualities of three-time world champion Max Verstappen kept his British competitor at bay. “Norris complained to the team, but also lost time due to the whining,” according to the German BILD. “Stop complaining, just accelerate! Despite the cursing and ranting, he simply couldn’t get past.” Due to an inevitable crash, George Russell was handed the victory. “Toto Wolff can cheer,” the report concluded.
