Red Bull's Max Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris have one of the closest friendships among Formula 1 drivers, but that might change very soon.
The drivers, who are the top two in the Drivers' Championship standings, were involved in a collision on lap 64 of 71 while fighting for the lead of the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix last Sunday, June 30, at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria.
Following the race, Sky Sports asked Norris if the incident would affect their usual activities outside of racing, including dinners and paddle-playing.
"It depends what he says. If he says he's done nothing wrong, then I lose a lot of respect. If he admits to being a bit stupid and running into me, being a bit reckless in a way, then I'll have a small amount of respect for him," the 24-year-old said.
Read more: Red Bull Driver Max Verstappen Confirms 2025 Season Decision After Speculations of Mercedes Move
The incident caused both drivers to puncture their tires. Norris was forced to retire from the race due to damage to his car, while Verstappen served a 10-second penalty, resulting in him finishing in fifth place.
Verstappen gives neutral answer to Norris incident
The reigning three-time champion also refused to take blame for the incident, but he provided a more rational answer about the incident.
"It's of course unfortunate, stuff that you don't want to see happening, it's as simple as that. Of course I will look back at it, because at the moment it's easy to say stuff. I think it's just better to look back at the footage of what exactly went wrong," the 26-year-old stated.
Verstappen increased his lead over Norris in the championship race by 12 points following the weekend race.
Related Article: Scuderia Ferrari Driver Carlos Sainz Jr. Admits Developing Trust Issues Around F1 Amid Search for 2025 Seat
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
