Max Verstappen says his solely focus after the conflict with Lando Norris in Austria was defending their relationship slightly than who was in the correct or mistaken.
Norris was trying to go Verstappen for victory on the Purple Bull Ring however confronted a powerful protection from the three-time world champion, earlier than the pair touched and each picked up punctures. Norris stated afterwards that he didn’t really feel like he acquired a good struggle and anticipated an apology from Verstappen, whereas McLaren staff principal Andrea Stella was outspoken about the way in which the Purple Bull driver defended and has been allowed to race by the FIA.
“I don’t give a s**t about that,” Verstappen stated of the criticism. “I am going dwelling, I reside my life. Like I stated, the one factor that I cared about was my relationship to Lando.”
On Thursday on the British Grand Prix, Norris admitted he now not felt an apology was warranted from Verstappen, who stated they mentioned their battle as quickly because the potential as soon as the preliminary emotion had died down.
“I’m not going to match drivers, as a result of that doesn’t make any sense anyway. For me, the one factor that I cared about is sustaining my relationship with Lando, as a result of we’re nice buddies,” Verstappen stated. “After the race, I stated we’ve got to only let issues quiet down as a result of feelings run excessive.
“We instantly spoke on Monday, and I feel we got here to the conclusion that we truly actually loved our battle. We each appeared on the incident — it was such a foolish little contact that after all had nice penalties for each of us, and a bit extra for Lando with how the puncture then developed.
“However we prefer to race laborious. We’ve performed this for a few years — not solely in Method 1, even in on-line racing the place we’ve had a number of enjoyable collectively — and this stuff, they’ve to hold on as a result of that’s what we love to do, and I feel it’s nice for Method 1 as nicely.
“I simply stated, ‘Let’s calm and let issues cool off a bit, have a look at the footage.’ That’s what I did with Lando. That’s the one one which I care about, as a result of no matter anyway else stated, that’s not for me. Everybody can have an opinion. I solely have a look at the connection of issues, and my relationship with Lando after all in that case.”
Whereas Norris nonetheless feels there are elements of Verstappen’s driving that must be clarified by the FIA — backing Stella’s criticism of what he claims is a byproduct of an absence of motion up to now — Verstappen says the pair have been nonetheless largely on the identical web page when speaking concerning the battle.
“We agreed with 99% of the whole lot. That’s so much I feel already,” Verstappen stated. “And naturally I stated to Lando, ‘Whenever you go for strikes up the within, outdoors, you’ll be able to belief me that I’m not there to crash you out of the way in which.’ The identical the opposite method round, as a result of we spoke about that as nicely.
“Naturally there’s all the time a human response when somebody dives up the within or outdoors, that you’ve a little bit of a response to it. However I felt the whole lot that I did was nothing massively excessive.
“In fact, like the way you design the automobile, you attempt to go to the sting of the principles. Possibly you discover some grey areas right here and there. And that’s the identical the way you race. In any other case you’ll by no means be a high driver and you’ll by no means reach life anyway.”
Verstappen added that the pair have promised to not change their approaches to how they race one another in future.
“We go at it flat out! That’s what we agreed to,” he stated. “As a result of that’s what we love to do and that’s what’s good for Method 1 as nicely.”
