McLaren Principal Blames Verstappen's Aggressive Driving for Austrian GP Collision
In the aftermath of the Austrian Grand Prix, McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has openly attributed the collision between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris to Verstappen's driving style. This incident, which resulted in punctures for both drivers, had significant repercussions on the race outcome.
George Russell ultimately inherited the lead, securing a victory at the Red Bull Ring. Post-race, race stewards handed Verstappen a 10-second penalty, deeming him solely responsible for the clash. Stella, however, voiced that similar aggressive maneuvers by Verstappen in the past—particularly during his title battle with Lewis Hamilton in 2021—had not been adequately addressed.
"If you don't address these things honestly, they will come back. They weren't addressed properly in the past when there were fights with Lewis that needed to be punished in a harsher way," Stella asserted.
Stella is calling for the FIA to reassess and reinforce its racing regulations to ensure such incidents are minimized. He emphasized that the aggressive maneuvers witnessed were not isolated to this race, but part of a series of unresolved issues from previous seasons.
"Before this episode, twice he moved in braking. It is evident that we have to enforce the way to go racing," Stella remarked, stressing the need for proactive rule enforcement to prevent future accidents. "In every kind of human dynamics, if you don't address things, as soon as you introduce competition, as soon as you introduce a sense of injustice, these things escalate. It's like anything."
The collision had immediate and tangible consequences for McLaren and Norris, costing them substantial points and a potential victory. Stella did not shy away from expressing his disappointment, noting the lost opportunity for Norris to be competitive throughout the race.
"For us, there's a lot of points gone. And a victory which I think Lando deserved to have the opportunity to have," said Stella. "It could have been Max, it could have been Lando. That's racing. But racing like with collisions, we don't like it."
Stella leveraged this incident as a call to action for the sport’s governing body, underscoring the necessity for clear boundaries and unambiguous regulatory enforcement. He proposed that the punishment should be proportionate to the outcome, particularly if a car is forced out of the race due to aggressive driving.
"The entire population of the world knows who was responsible except for a group of people," Stella stated pointedly.
Reflecting on the broader implications, Stella viewed the episode as an opportunity for improvement within the sport. "So I think this one like I said before, this episode today should be taken as an opportunity to tighten up, to plump up the boundaries, and in fairness, enforcing some of the rules that are already in place."
Andrea Stella’s candid remarks follow a pattern of appeals for higher standards in racing conduct, aligning with a growing consensus that the sport must evolve to safeguard competitive integrity. His insights into Verstappen's driving style and the systemic issues it highlights send a clear message to the authorities and the broader racing community.
As the sport continues to evolve, Stella’s call for cleaner, fairer racing echoes a sentiment shared by many within the paddock. The FIA now faces the challenge of addressing these concerns to enhance the safety and fairness of the sport, ensuring that such contentious incidents do not derail the competitive spirit of Formula 1.