Alex Albon believes the clash between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in last weekend Austrian Grand Prix was “blown out of proportion”, a view shared by several of the Williams driver’s colleagues.
Verstappen and Norris came to blows in the closing stages of the race after the McLaren driver had made several lunges at his Red Bull rival at the track’s Turn 3 uphill hairpin.
But on lap 64 of 71, contact ensued between the two protagonists when Verstappen squeezed his rival on the entry to the corner, which resulted in a puncture and a ruined race for both drivers.
The stewards took exception with Verstappen’s move and deemed the Dutch responsible for causing a collision, hitting the three-time world champion with an inconsequential ten-second penalty.
Albon viewed the on-track spat as nothing more than a case of “pure and hard racing” between to drivers.
“It’s aggressive racing but I think it’s blown out of proportion, in my opinion,” said the Williams driver.
“I think it was questionable more the first move where Max moved under the braking the first time. I don’t really think he moved under braking on the one where they made contact.
“I think that was more just kind of heading more towards a straight line, just going more towards the left.”
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McLaren boss Andrea Stella reckoned that Verstappen’s behaviour, which he heavily criticized, was a legacy from 2021, when the stewards were too lenient on the Red Bull charger, thus encouraging his tendency to aggressively defend his position.
“To be honest, for me Max wasn’t doing much,” said Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg.
“He was more or less driving in a straight line. We have to leave a car width which I think there was and there was still kerb on the left and not a wall and room, so no.
“I think the stewards got involved quite a lot last weekend, but it’s a personal opinion, personal views, and like I say for me that was just racing.
“There was next to no contact. I don’t think you could have less contact, it’s just obviously quite bad how they hit in that both rims kind of broke from that. But usually you get away with that kind of contact.
“So I felt it was all ‘biffed up’ quite a bit and dramatic. And for me, it was just racing.”
Asked to chime in on the debate, RB’s Daniel Ricciardo, who enjoyed a couple of flash points of his own with Verstappen during his day’s with Red Bull, especially in Baku in 2018, agreed with Hulkenberg that the damage that resulted from the contact was unfortunate.
“I think the moving under braking, I have an understanding of what I should do and shouldn’t do,” he said. “If you look at it, yeah it’s hard, but you’re also fighting for a win so you’re not going to just wave someone by.
“I think the contact, that can happen probably nine times out of ten with no consequence.
“They’d been going at it back and forth. Maybe the angle was a bit awkward. Obviously Lando ended the race but I think the outcome was bigger than probably what was actually happening on track.
“What I saw, at least, nothing seemed over the top. Was it pushing the edge? Probably. But was anything dangerous or reckless, at least from what I’ve seen. No.”
Ricciardo suggested that any other driver would have raced Norris just as hard as Verstappen did in the same situation.
“I don’t even want to spotlight Max. I think when you’re fighting for a win, are you going to fight harder than fighting for 15th place? Honestly, yes, because it’s just how it is.
“So I think it’s to be expected. I’m not saying whether everything was correct and by the book, maybe some things were pushing it.”
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