At the Austrian GP, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris engaged in intense racing.
Daniel Ricciardo believes the reaction to the clash between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in Austria led to the Dutch driver getting “hammered”.
Verstappen faced significant criticism after the collision with McLaren’s Lando Norris during their intense battle for the top spot at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Daniel Ricciardo: People are hammering Max Verstappen
Both Verstappen and Norris fiercely contested the limited space during their race towards Turn 3 in the final moments at the Red Bull Ring. Regrettably, their collision led to both vehicles enduring devastating punctures.
Despite struggling, Verstappen managed to finish in fifth place, but Norris had to retire as his tire caused damage to his car. Verstappen received a 10-second time penalty as he was primarily responsible for the collision, although it didn’t impact his final position.
The investigation conducted by the steward revealed no evidence of any improper behavior from Verstappen while moving under braking, dismissing the allegations made against the Red Bull driver by commenters and observers.
In the immediate aftermath of the race, an angry Norris called for an apology from the Dutch driver while McLaren team boss Andrea Stella lambasted Verstappen as he appeared on Sky F1 after the chequered flag.
“From what I gather, everyone in the world seems to be aware of the responsible party, except for a specific group of individuals [Red Bull],” Stella commented.
However, the underlying issue is that if you fail to honestly confront these matters, they will resurface.
Stella expressed her belief that the FIA should have taken a stricter stance against Verstappen during the 2021 season, particularly due to his involvement in controversial incidents with his title rival, Lewis Hamilton.
“He said they returned today as they had not been adequately addressed in the past during the conflicts with Lewis.”
“This behavior required a more severe form of punishment, such as teaching you the importance of racing in a fair and equitable manner.”
There have been numerous incidents. The truth is, we hold Red Bull and Max in high regard. There is no necessity for them to engage in such actions that could potentially tarnish their reputation. Why would they choose to do so?
Verstappen faced significant backlash on social media following the incident, with many directing their criticism towards him. Anthony Davidson’s analysis on Sky F1 further fueled the blame on the three-time F1 World Champion for the clash.
By the time F1 arrived at Silverstone, Norris had somewhat changed his position. He no longer insisted on an apology and even questioned whether the Dutch driver should be penalized. However, McLaren CEO Zak Brown persisted in directing his criticisms towards Red Bull, claiming that the team from Milton Keynes races without adhering to the regulations and lacks respect for them.
During his conversation with various media outlets, including PlanetF1.com, Daniel Ricciardo expressed his belief that the criticism faced by Verstappen for his driving in the 2021 season was unwarranted and excessive. He felt that the comparisons made were overly harsh and that the Red Bull driver was being unfairly targeted.
The Australian expressed, “I’ve never heard [this] before.”
It seems that mentioning an event from a few years ago might imply that Max is facing some criticism.
“I’m not sure, but it seems like it may have been exaggerated a bit.”
More on Daniel Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo net worth: How much is F1’s ‘Honey Badger’ worth?
Daniel Ricciardo exclusive: I’m absolutely ready to return to Red Bull
Ricciardo, who has experienced intense battles with Verstappen throughout the years, including their time as teammates at Red Bull from 2016 to ’18, stated that every driver is well aware of the challenges they face when competing against the current World Champion.
He expressed, “In this sport, nobody desires to become the target of bullying. Instead, you aim to assert yourself against all competitors. Furthermore, it greatly impacts your reputation.”
To avoid giving others the impression that you are an easy opponent, it is important to keep your elbows slightly extended when approached by people on the track.
From the very beginning, it has been evident that Max always has a way out. It seems ingrained in his DNA that he is a naturally resilient racer. He doesn’t have to make an extra effort for it, it’s simply his racing style.
With him, it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll face a challenging battle without any conditions. However, this doesn’t necessarily alter your approach in racing against him. You simply understand that you need to execute a remarkable move and ensure its success.
In my opinion, Lando’s realization occurred during the Sprint race on Saturday, when he managed to overtake Verstappen but was swiftly countered by the Red Bull driver in the very next corner. It seems he believed he had successfully completed the maneuver, but Max promptly proved him wrong by saying, ‘Not today’. This experience serves as a valuable lesson in life, where one learns from such situations.
On Sunday, Lando displayed a series of daring maneuvers and even defended his position fiercely. However, I lamented the unfortunate outcome that resulted from his actions.
Due to their past collaboration, Ricciardo and Norris have developed a strong bond, similar to Verstappen. Consequently, Ricciardo emerges as a potential contender to join Verstappen as his teammate for the remainder of 2024 if Red Bull decides to demote or release Sergio Perez during the summer break.
Ricciardo believes that the clash between Verstappen and Norris, which resulted in a minor collision with serious consequences, does not warrant any intervention regarding Verstappen’s aggressive defensive tactics. Typically, such incidents would not cause any harm in nine out of ten cases.
He stated, “His unchanged nature becomes evident through his racing approach; evidently, he gives his all on the track, which is something many fans have admired about him.”
“Do I believe he has matured from the beginning of his career? Certainly. He isn’t frequently finding himself in such situations anymore.”
“I’m not sure. I believe there’s no immediate need to address it seriously. You’re striving for victory, and the situation was regrettable. I don’t consider their incident to be risky.”
Referring to a collision between Verstappen and Hamilton from the 2021 British Grand Prix, which sparked headlines last week as the Dutch driver revealed he suffered from occasional blurred vision following his 51G impact with the barriers, Ricciardo said there was no comparison in the severity of incidents to warrant any interference.
He said that the speed was relatively low and it didn’t have the same impact as Copse in 2021, which clearly had a greater consequence.
However, if this trend continues in the upcoming races, I am uncertain whether a single race will be sufficient to establish a comprehensive understanding of the evolving circumstances.
Read Next: Toto Wolff ‘convinced’ F1 2026 ‘too slow’ fears won’t become reality
