Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner Defends Max Verstappen Against Criticism from McLaren
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, responded to criticism aimed at Max Verstappen by McLaren counterpart Andrea Stella, labelling it “wrong and unfair”. Horner also emphasized that Verstappen will not change his aggressive approach to racing, which has been a hallmark of his career in Formula 1.
The debate arose after Verstappen’s collision with Lando Norris in the Austrian Grand Prix, where both drivers punctured a tyre each. Verstappen finished fifth after a tyre change, while Norris was forced to retire. McLaren driver Norris and Team Principal Stella were upset with Verstappen’s defensive tactics, claiming he moved under braking several times before running Norris out of road on Lap 64.
However, Horner defended Verstappen’s actions, suggesting that Norris is still learning how to race against the Dutch world champion. “Certainly, from Max’s side, he’s not going to change,” Horner said. “There’s an element, I think, of Lando learning how to race Max and they’re discovering that.”
Horner believes that close racing between Verstappen and Norris is inevitable, given the competitiveness of the current Formula 1 season. “Max is a hard racer – he’s probably one of the hardest racers on the circuit, and everybody knows that if you’re going to race against Max, he’s going to give as good as he gets.”
Despite the tension, Horner revealed that Verstappen and Norris had already cleared the air in a private conversation after the race. “I understand they’ve spoken already, I don’t think there is any issue,” he said.
Stella had suggested that Verstappen’s aggressive tactics were emboldened by his 2021 campaign racing against Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton, when Verstappen wasn’t punished adequately for crossing the limit. However, Horner dismissed this notion as unfair, citing Verstappen’s hard racing against Hamilton in their 2021 title fight. “He was punished in 2021 if he did something wrong, just as Lewis was for things he did wrong,” Horner explained.
In conclusion, Horner stands firmly behind Verstappen’s racing style, which has been instrumental in Red Bull’s success in the Formula 1 standings. As the season unfolds, fans can expect more thrilling battles between Verstappen and Norris, with the Dutch driver’s aggressive approach remaining unchanged.
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