Lando Norris may have succumbed to the pressure from Max Verstappen even before the collision that ended the race at the Red Bull Ring. Spectators witnessed an intense battle for the lead between the two drivers. Unfortunately, the situation escalated quickly, resulting in significant damage for both. However, it could be argued that Norris could have easily won the race if he hadn’t made some mistakes against the current world champion.
Max Verstappen had an excellent start in the main race, leaving Norris and McLaren unable to keep up with the Dutchman for most of the Grand Prix. However, a setback during a pit stop for Red Bull brought Lando Norris within Verstappen’s DRS zone. It seemed like the British driver was on his way to his second victory in F1.
However, things didn’t go as planned for Norris. He found himself desperate to overtake the race leader but ultimately couldn’t continue after the incident and had to retire from the race. Meanwhile, Verstappen managed to salvage some crucial points in the championship. Did Lando Norris ruin his own chances of victory at the Austrian GP?
It’s worth noting that Norris defeated Verstappen in the Miami GP earlier this year, but that result was heavily influenced by a late Safety Car. During the Sprint race in Austria, Norris lost the lead and second place while trying to defend against Verstappen. Perhaps that moment was still fresh in his mind as he fought for victory in the Grand Prix.
Verstappen was defending aggressively, pushing the limits of the rules, while Norris was exceeding the track limits and even making mistakes while trying to overtake the Dutchman. Even if the collision between the two had not occurred, Norris would have lost the race due to a five-second penalty for exceeding the track limits.
It is interesting to note that two years ago, Norris defeated Verstappen in Austria by making moves in the same turn. Verstappen himself pushed the limits during his infamous title fight with the Dutchman in 2021. Therefore, there may be valuable lessons for Lando Norris to learn if he wants to be a championship contender.
Undoubtedly, Lando Norris is far from satisfied after the Austrian GP. The British driver will be eager to bounce back in his home race at Silverstone this weekend. However, it remains to be seen how things will unfold between Norris and Verstappen in the coming weeks.
