By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports
July 5, 2024
The 2024 Formula 1 season took a turn last weekend in Austria.
For the last two months, McLaren has had a faster car than Red Bull, and the tensions finally boiled over.
With around 10 laps to go in the race, McLaren’s Lando Norris was gaining on Max Verstappen and well-positioned to get the pass completed.
When Norris went for the pass to take the lead in the race, Verstappen made a late block resulting in contact between the cars.
Both drivers had to go to the pit lane for service and Norris was forced to drop out of the race. The referees of F1 (the “Stewards”) gave Verstappen a penalty for the move, blaming him for causing the collision.
The Dutch driver ended up finishing in fifth place while Lando wound up in dead last as the only driver to retire from the race.
In an instant, the Formula 1 world flipped on Verstappen. Suddenly, his driving techniques against Lewis Hamilton in the famous 2021 title fight came roaring back to mind.
Now, Max is viewed as a dirty driver by almost everyone in the sport.
The video clip below from McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella frames the issue perfectly.
– Andrea Stella, McLaren Team Principal
There’s no denying that McLaren have the pace advantage over Red Bull. Their car is simply better.
Max is now forced to win races purely on talent and strategy.
So the knives are out. On both sides.
Christian Horner says Andrea Stella’s criticism of Max Verstappen is ‘wrong and unfair’
“He [Max] was punished in 2021 if he did something wrong just as Lewis, who he was racing so hard that year, for things he did wrong.”
“I think it’s wrong and unfair to label a driver like… pic.twitter.com/pZR7DSLHAc
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) July 2, 2024
Television Schedule for British Grand Prix
Time: Sunday, 7:00 am PT
Channel: ESPN2
Constructor Standings
Red Bull – 355 Points
Ferrari – 291 Points
McLaren – 268 Points
Driver Standings
Max Verstappen – 237 Points
Lando Norris – 156 Points
Charles Leclerc – 150 Points
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