Lando Norris lashes out at Verstappen after crash at the Austrian GP

His biggest threat

McLaren's Lando Norris has come out of the shadows in 2024 and become Max Verstappen's biggest challenger on the Formula One race circuit.

Trying to pass

At the Austrian Grand Prix, the pair were fighting again at the front of the pack when Norris tried to pass Verstappen on lap 64 of the 71-lap race, the third time the Brit had tried to pass the reigning world champion.

Losing crucial points

However, it was third-time unlucky for the McLaren driver, who collided with Verstappen as he attempted to go around the Red Bull driver. Both of them suffered punctures, which cost Norris crucial points at the top of the Drivers' Championship.

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Gaining ten points on Norris

Norris finished the race in last place, and Verstappen crossed the line in fifth, gaining ten points on the McLaren driver. According to the Formula One website, Verstappen is top of the table with 237 points, and Norris is second with 156.

"I expect aggression"

The Guardian reports Norris said: "I expect a tough battle against Max, I know what to expect, I expect aggression and pushing the limits."

"A little bit desperate"

"But all three times, he's doing stuff that can easily cause an incident, and in a way, it's just a bit reckless. It seemed like a little bit desperate from his side."

Something needs to be done

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella drew reference to previous incidents between Verstappen and other drivers, including Verstappen's heated battles with Lewis Hamilton. He said something needs to be done to stop the Dutchman from creating race collisions.

"They weren't addressed properly"

According to the Formula One website, Stella said: "If you don't address these things honestly, they will come back. They weren't addressed properly in the past when there were fights with Lewis that needed to be punished in a harsher way."

Good friends

Norris and Verstappen are known to be good friends for some time, and Verstappen admitted the pair will discuss the incident, but "it's not the right time" at the moment.

Affect their friendship?

As Norris continues to compete with Verstappen at the summit of Formula One, will more incidents and close calls affect their friendship away from the track?

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