There was solely ever going to be one storyline dominating Thursday on the British Grand Prix, and whereas it concerned two drivers, the remainder of the grid was at all times going to be dragged into the talk.
The battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in Austria had led to some robust feedback from the McLaren facet on Sunday night time, and a equally strong response — in addition to a protection — from Pink Bull.
Verstappen had largely stayed out of it on the time, however with simply three days between race occasions and an opportunity to learn the way the scenario had developed at Silverstone, there was loads of anticipation as media day received underway.
The 2 fundamental protagonists rapidly defused any animosity between them, with Verstappen making clear his solely concern had been for his relationship with Norris. The McLaren driver equally cooled his view, however did nonetheless counsel there are grey areas that want addressing in terms of the principles of racing.
But that wasn’t a view as extensively shared by the remainder of the Method 1 grid as you may count on.
“It was aggressive racing, however I feel it was blown out of proportion for my part,” Alex Albon stated. “I feel it was questionable extra the primary transfer the place Max moved underneath braking the primary time. I don’t suppose he actually moved underneath braking within the one the place they made contact, it was simply heading extra in direction of a straight line, going extra in direction of the left. Undoubtedly extra you guys [media] having fun with it. The fact of it was simply pure, laborious racing.
“They’re each going for the win so it’s going to be emotional. It’s within the second and they’re each combating for victory, so I feel it’ll play an influence on their relationship to a point. Particularly as McLaren are going to be combating an increasing number of for victory.
“May even get the identical motion this weekend and for the remainder of the yr. It’s simply pure when drivers preserve discovering themselves in the identical positions, in first and second, they will have extra probabilities to bang wheels.”
Albon says it’s additionally no shock that Norris was combating so laborious looking for a well past the Pink Bull, including: “Each driver would. I don’t know any driver who could be in with an opportunity to win a race and type of not put it on the road. We’re all very equally programmed.”
Albon’s sentiments have been shared by Daniel Ricciardo — who collided with Verstappen in Baku in 2018 after they have been teammates at Pink Bull — however felt the precise incidents in Austria weren’t worthy of serious focus.
“I watched the incidents, or the battle, however I haven’t seen something of the aftermath when it comes to what’s been stated, what hasn’t been stated,” Ricciardo stated. “Just like the shifting underneath braking, I’ve an understanding of what I ought to do and shouldn’t do.
“You have a look at it, it’s laborious, however you’re additionally combating for a win, so that you’re not simply going to wave somebody by. I feel the contact, that may occur in all probability 9 occasions out of 10 with no consequence. It was additionally, they’d been going it backwards and forwards, possibly the angle was a bit awkward, Lando ended [his] race. I feel the result was in all probability greater than what was truly taking place on observe.
“What I noticed at the least, nothing appeared excessive. Was it pushing the sting? Most likely. However was something harmful or reckless? At the least from what I’ve seen, no.”
Ricciardo says the best way Verstappen races has been the identical since he joined F1 and believes that analyzing the incident in gradual movement isn’t at all times truthful. Nevertheless, he agreed with Albon {that a} battle must be that intense if it’s for a victory.
“You understand that, it’s important to count on that. However… I don’t even wish to highlight Max, I feel once you’re combating for a win, you battle for a win. Are you going to battle tougher than fifteenth place? Actually, sure. As a result of it’s simply how it’s. I feel it’s to be anticipated.
“I’m not saying whether or not the whole lot was appropriate and by the e book — possibly some issues have been pushing it, however once more, they’re going to speak about it, as a result of it’s for the win, and as I stated, they’ll in all probability attempt to create some enemies out of two youngsters that get alongside.
“However I feel actually, it’s good that there’s a tough battle for the lead. Unlucky it ended that means for them, however that’s the way it goes.”
Kevin Magnussen has beforehand advocated for a extra American-style method to racing in F1 following his expertise of IndyCar and IMSA, wanting the drivers to have the ability to self-police extra understanding the results of contact.
“I feel it’s irritating that it’s at all times going backwards and forwards with guidelines,” Magnussen stated. “Perhaps they simply should make it extra free. On the finish of the day, he [Verstappen] received a penalty, which I suppose was appropriate by the principles, however on the finish of the day, he received a pure penalty together with his puncture, so it didn’t repay for him to drive the best way he did in that second.
“I simply suppose there’s a pure form of dynamic to racing. For those who let the drivers race totally free, they’ll race laborious, however on the finish of the day you wish to be ending races. You wish to be taking good care of your automotive. That type of stops the drivers from doing too-crazy issues.”
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Carlos Sainz identified how difficult it’s for drivers to recollect all the ways in which a battle will probably be judged primarily based on the place they’re positioned within the battle.
“For my part it’s clear that you could transfer to defend after which come again, however at all times depart one automotive’s width to the white line so the opposite automotive matches,” Sainz stated. “That’s the rule. I actually wrestle with the truth that we have to preserve including guidelines to the racing facet of it.
“I feel there’s so many already; if you happen to learn the rulebook about what it’s important to do if you happen to overtake on the within, what you’ll want to do if you happen to defend on the within, what you’ll want to do if you happen to assault on the skin, what you’ll want to do if you happen to defend from the skin… It’s all a special set of rules that’s already super-detailed and particular, which I wrestle to comply with precisely once I’m driving a automotive at 300kph. Since you can not suppose at that pace about all these guidelines.
“Let’s say I don’t need any additional guidelines; the principles are clear sufficient. And there was a call taken on the stewards’ facet already.”
Whereas it has been prompt that Norris needed to race in a forceful means in opposition to Verstappen due to how aggressive the Pink Bull driver might be, Charles Leclerc — who likened final weekend’s conflict to an identical one he had with Verstappen in 2022 — says he nonetheless fights in opposition to every of his rivals in the identical model.
“You get to know the drivers an increasing number of,” Leclerc stated. “And with Max, he’s in all probability the driving force that I do know most on the grid as we’ve got pushed in opposition to one another from a really very long time — since again in 2010, I feel. You understand kind of how every driver goes to react or battle or defend or assault you.
“Nevertheless, I don’t battle them in numerous methods, any of them. I’ll at all times attempt to battle them in the identical means. It largely is determined by the scenario you’re in, and naturally if you’re combating for a P6 within the championship, and Max is 100 factors forward, you may not battle him as laborious. However when a win is on the desk, I’ll at all times go flat out with whoever I’m combating with.”
Encouragingly, Verstappen stated he and Norris have agreed to battle simply as laborious with one another if confronted with an identical state of affairs in future. So whereas there may not have been fireworks off-track because the British Grand Prix weekend received underway, there could possibly be some on it come Sunday.
