Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko defended Max Verstappen’s involvement in a collision with Lando Norris during the recent race, arguing that the situation involved no significant danger and questioning the penalty issued to Verstappen.
Verstappen and Norris made contact on the 64th lap at turn three, resulting in Verstappen receiving a penalty after race stewards deemed him predominantly at fault. However, Marko disagreed with this decision, suggesting Norris bore more responsibility and asserting that the incident occurred under controlled conditions in a low-speed corner with ample run-off space.
Marko expressed his view to SpeedWeek, stating, “Max and Lando were pushing the limits, but in a braking zone at low speed, with no immediate threats nearby and ample run-off, there was no real danger. Race control should have allowed them to continue their battle.”
He further criticized the penalty, calling it “incomprehensible” and suggesting that Red Bull should have informed Verstappen about Norris’s track limit infringements earlier in the race, which could have influenced Verstappen’s approach.
“We could have communicated better with Max regarding Norris’s penalties,” Marko admitted. “However, this goes against Max Verstappen’s competitive nature.”
Marko also expressed dissatisfaction with the timing of the penalty decision against Norris, believing race control should have resolved it more swiftly to prevent escalating tensions during the race.
Reflecting on Norris’s complaints about Verstappen’s defensive maneuvers, Marko pointed out a previous incident where Norris allegedly made a similar move against Verstappen without repercussions.
In conclusion, Marko emphasized that the outcome could have been different had race control acted more promptly and defended Verstappen’s competitive spirit amid the contentious race incidents.
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