McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella did not mince words when discussing the late-race incident involving Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, which ended the former’s Austrian Grand Prix. The team chief linked Verstappen’s moves some of his performances in the contentious 2021 Formula 1 season.
In a post-race interview with Sky Sports F1, as quoted by Motorsport, Stella pointedly critiqued not only the immediate circumstances but also the broader issues plaguing Formula 1’s regulatory environment. He traced the root of such controversial racing back to numerous forgotten incidents from the 2021 season, particularly involving Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Citing clashes in Imola, Silverstone, Monza, Jeddah, and a near-miss in Brazil, Stella argued that a precedent of leniency has cultivated a culture of aggressive driving that goes unchecked.
Stella’s forthright comments included a damning indictment of the lack of serious repercussions for what he describes as recurrent dangerous maneuvers, notably moving under braking. He explained:
“I see it as the entire population in the world will know who is responsible, expect for a group of people [Red Bull, its fans and Verstappen and his fans]. But the problem behind it is that if you don’t address these things honestly, they will come back.
“They have come back today because they were not addressed properly in the past when there was some fights with Lewis that needed to be punished in a harsher way. You learn now to race in a certain way, which we can consider fair and square.”
He continued:
“Yes, there is many episodes. The fact is that we have so much respect for Red Bull, so much respect for Max that they don’t need to do this. They don’t need to do this. This is a way to almost compromise your reputation. Why would you do that?”
“The stewards found that Max was fully at blame in this episode so it is not about racing in a driver’s way, it is about racing in the regulations.
“The regulations must be enforced in a way that is effective, because when a car is out of the race as a consequence of this accident the punishment needs to be proportionate to the outcome. We had, before this episode [the crash], twice moving under braking. I think it is evident and we have to enforce the way to go racing because we want to have fun, we want to enjoy.”
As the dust settles on the Austrian Grand Prix, the comments from Stella serve as a poignant reminder of the continuous challenges Formula 1 faces in balancing intense competition with equitable sportsmanship.
Uncommon Knowledge
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