Max Verstappen refused to accept responsibility for the incident involving Lando Norris and did not offer an apology. The collision between Verstappen and Norris was considered a racing incident by many, but Verstappen was penalized by the stewards while Norris faced no consequences. Despite this, Norris was expecting an apology from Verstappen, but former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard believes that such an apology is highly unlikely.
Norris believed that his friendship with Verstappen would be damaged if Verstappen did not take the blame. Verstappen, however, did not accept any blame and suggested that Norris should be prepared for intense racing. Coulthard even gave his opinion, considering the penalty unnecessary and severe for the 26-year-old driver.
Coulthard expressed his thoughts on the incident and responded with humor. He jokingly stated that Verstappen would apologize faster over his dead body. Furthermore, Coulthard accurately predicted that Verstappen would label the incident as “hard racing” and deny any wrongdoing, which the 26-year-old driver ended up doing.
Although Coulthard never had the opportunity to race alongside Verstappen at Red Bull, he observed enough of Verstappen’s performances to form opinions. Coulthard recalled the controversial 2021 season and how the rivalry between Verstappen and unfolded in the end.
As a result, the 53-year-old driver praised the three-time world champion for his performances in Formula 1. Coulthard recognized Verstappen as one of the most formidable drivers of the current generation. To surpass Verstappen, it would be necessary to match his pace and performance throughout the season.
Despite making a pit stop for the third time and receiving a ten-second time penalty, Verstappen still managed to finish in P5. This demonstrates the strong position of the Dutchman in the Austrian GP. The Red Bull will undoubtedly learn valuable lessons from the setback during a critical moment of the race.
