Max Verstappen and Lando Norris “can’t be friends” after Austrian GP F1 flashpoint

Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz thinks Max Verstappen and Lando Norris simply “can’t be friends” as their on-track rivalry heats up.

Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix was the first flashpoint between Verstappen and Norris.

After a number of laps of intense battle, the pair collided at Turn 3.

Verstappen was handed a 10-second time penalty for his role in the incident as he was deemed to have moved under braking, leaving Norris inadequate space and causing contact in the process.

The collision resulted in punctures for both drivers, forcing Norris out of the race, while Verstappen eventually finished fifth.

Speaking on his post-race notebook, Kravitz gave his thoughts on the situation: “And in the personal relationship between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. Up until this point, they’ve been mates. They share nights out, they go to longer races on the same plane.

“So is this the end of a beautiful friendship between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris? Will there be no more trips to Ibiza? Will there be no more Martin Garrix concerts? Will there be no more respect?

“That’s what he [Norris] said, that’s the thing I think. Never mind Martin Garrix and the private jets. Max, Lando said, if he doesn’t apologise or accept responsibility, then I would have lost a bit of respect for him.”

Kravitz added:  “Max was indicating afterwards that he is going to do no such thing. When he was told of the 10-second penalty for causing the accident by not leaving enough room for Lando as he attacked, Max said, ‘Of course, sure, that’s ridiculous.

“And Max’s view on this is worth considering because Max’s view on this is that, ‘Look, if you’re Lando you can send it left, you can send it right, you can harry me into Turn 3 all you want. What do you want me to do?’

“Well, Lando would obviously say, ‘I want you to race cleanly and clearly and leave me a space either way’. Max would counter and say, ‘Well, you forced me off the track’. Lando would counter back and say,’ Well, you moved under braking’. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

“And that’s what Andrea Stella is talking about. When you don’t lay down the rules as to what is and isn’t acceptable with hard-line guidance from the stewards, this is what’s going to happen.

“Now the other question is even if the stewards did lay down the rules and guidance of what it is and isn’t acceptable, would that have avoided something like today? I tend to think probably not. But anyway…”

Since McLaren’s Austria upgrade last year, Norris has consistently been Verstappen’s nearest challenger.

As a result, Kravitz feels it will be impossible for two championship rivals to remain friends and that Austria was “the first day that we saw it”.

“So Christian Horner said on the radio that Lando did not behave correctly, that Max Verstappen was desperately unlucky,” he explained. “And that’s the thing about Red Bull. That’s why I said to Christian Horner, ‘Was Max Verstappen just not prepared to settle for second?’

“It’s so interesting. Was he not prepared at Red Bull’s home race to settle for second to McLaren? Maybe he wouldn’t have, that’s the point. Maybe he would have got Lando back but it all ended in tears. hey’re gonna blame each other. And maybe this is the end of the relationship between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.

“Can two championship rivals ever be friends? No way. They can’t be sharing all of this stuff and having great times at Ibiza and Martin Garrix, et cetera, et cetera. They can’t be friends. It’s not possible. So is today the first day that we saw it?”