McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has squarely identified Max Verstappen’s driving demeanor as the principal factor in the high-stakes collision with Lando Norris at the Austrian Grand Prix. This incident, which caused punctures for both drivers, left a significant impact on the race's outcome.
The ensuing chaos saw George Russell seize the opportunity, inheriting the lead and ultimately clinching victory at the Red Bull Ring. In the aftermath of the clash between Verstappen and Norris, race stewards assigned a 10-second penalty to Verstappen, holding him solely accountable for the altercation.
Troubled Legacy
Stella drew parallels between this recent incident and previous clashes, particularly those involving Verstappen during the heated title contest with Lewis Hamilton in 2021. He argued that these past encounters were not adequately addressed, leading to a cascade of unresolved issues. "If you don't address these things honestly, they will come back," Stella remarked. "They weren't addressed properly in the past when there were fights with Lewis that needed to be punished in a harsher way."
Call for Regulatory Overhaul
In light of the incident, Stella called for the FIA to reassess and tighten its racing regulations. He stressed the necessity for clear boundaries and stringent enforcement to prevent such collisions in the future. "The regulations must be enforced in a way that is effective. When a car is out of the race, as a consequence, then the punishment needs to be proportionate to the outcome," he stated.
Stella pointed out that Verstappen's aggressive maneuvers were not an isolated event in this race alone. "Before this episode, twice he moved in braking. It is evident that we have to enforce the way to go racing," he elaborated. For Stella, this incident serves as a stark reminder of the need to solidify rules and their enforcement within the sport.
Immediate Consequences
The immediate fallout from the collision was keenly felt by McLaren and Norris, who suffered a significant loss of points and a missed opportunity for victory. Reflecting on this, Stella expressed his frustration: "For us, there's a lot of points gone. And a victory which I think Lando deserved to have the opportunity to have."
Looking Ahead
Stella sees this incident as a potential turning point for the sport. He underscored the importance of reinforcing existing rules to ensure fair competition. "Here there was incomplete job, let's say, that comes from the past, and is a legacy that as soon as there was a trigger, immediately there is an outburst," he observed.
For Stella, and by extension McLaren, the goal is a future where racing is competitive yet fair, untainted by collisions and controversies. "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," he noted. "We need to be very clear that these rules cannot be abused in a way that then leaves a margin to do a couple of times the same manoeuvre, and you know the third time there is going to be an accident."
Echoing his call for fairer racing, Stella concluded, "It could have been Max, it could have been Lando. That's racing. But racing like with collisions, we don't like it."