In the aftermath of the Spanish Grand Prix, Max Verstappen jokingly suggested that Lando Norris requires a “big mirror” following their incident at the start of the race, which saw Norris pushed onto the grass in Formula 1’s latest outing. According to Verstappen, Norris needs to improve his spatial awareness, a sentiment that has sparked debate among Formula 1 news enthusiasts.
As the lights went out, Verstappen executed a superior start procedure compared to polesitter Norris, allowing him to pull alongside the McLaren driver. Norris subsequently moved over, nudging Verstappen towards the inside. The Dutchman kept his foot flat to the floor, taking advantage of the inside line into Turn 1 to overtake Norris. However, George Russell capitalized on the situation, overtaking both drivers.
“I think it was just racing. I gave him enough space. I don’t think at any point there wasn’t enough space for him to stay on the track,” Norris said.
While Verstappen had initially protested Norris’ aggressive car positioning, he later admitted to having moved over to avoid potential damage to his Red Bull.
“If you turn it around, would I have done the same? I probably would have done the same. No, listen, you always try to squeeze it to the limit,” Verstappen remarked.
Verstappen was quick to regain his composure, passing Russell two laps later and establishing a substantial lead that ultimately thwarted Norris’ later charge. Norris eventually finished the race in second place, just 2.2 seconds behind Verstappen. Despite losing ground at the start, Norris produced a stellar closing stint, eradicating Verstappen’s leading gap. The Briton lamented the missed opportunity to secure his second career win, but his sixth podium this term moved him up into second in the Formula 1 standings.
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