McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has raised doubts about Christian Horner’s honesty following the Red Bull boss’ insinuation that Lando Norris had intended to cause an incident in the Austrian Grand Prix. Norris had expressed frustration with Max Verstappen’s defensive tactics during their fight for the lead at the Red Bull Ring. One of Norris’ attempts to overtake led to him running wide at Turn 3, resulting in his fourth violation of track limits and a five-second time penalty. Horner suggested that the subsequent contact between the drivers “just felt like he was trying to cause something up at Turn 3.” Verstappen was ultimately penalized for moving towards Norris on the outside during braking, and Stella was not pleased with Horner’s comments.
Stella responded, “I find this kind of statement to be quite unacceptable, I would say, and to some extent, I believe it reflects on the credibility of the person who made it,” during an interview with SiriusXM. While Stella also criticized Verstappen’s defensive maneuvers, he believed that if race control had intervened earlier, a collision could have been avoided.
“The entire battle was highly entertaining, first and foremost,” Stella remarked. “It was fantastic to witness such a fierce competition for victory in a race, and it is unfortunate that we were unable to witness this battle all the way to the checkered flag. It was a challenging battle, within the limits of the rules, until a certain point. However, at some stage, we began to witness maneuvers that required immediate attention, so that both drivers were aware that ‘we are monitoring, stay within the boundaries of the regulations.’ In particular, Max should have been informed that certain movements during braking were not permissible.
“From that point on, there would have been more caution in the maneuver that ultimately caused both drivers to go off track. Unfortunately, for our championship and also for Max, it allowed him to recover and score 10 points. The battle itself was fantastic, but the failure to address the drivers meant that the situation escalated. In general, we have immense respect for Max. His achievements are extraordinary, and he is a remarkable driver. There is no need to defend in such a manner. Sometimes, you simply have to accept that the car behind deserves an opportunity. If Lando had overtaken, then on the next lap, with the DRS, Max would have gone for it, resulting in an incredible spectacle. Unfortunately, we missed out on that, but hopefully, in the future, we will witness such battles within the confines of enforced regulations.”
Stella also acknowledged that the drivers are adept at exploiting the gray areas of the regulations to maximize their chances of success. “I believe there is a missed opportunity here because the earlier and clearer we address our approach to racing, the better we can prevent incidents like this,” he explained. “However, the FIA, the stewards, and the race director have a challenging task. We recognize the difficulties they face. They have to monitor and understand the mindset of the world’s best drivers. These drivers know how to manipulate situations, conceal their intentions, and push the limits. It’s a tough job for the FIA and the stewards. Nevertheless, this situation presents an opportunity to review what we have learned over the weekend and determine how we can quickly tighten up areas that need improvement. This way, we can enjoy this type of racing and witness cars engaged in battles until the checkered flag.”
