'I WAS F1 STEWARD FOR MAX VERSTAPPEN'S CRASH WITH LANDO NORRIS - THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED'

F1 steward Johnny Herbert has admitted that it did not take long to decide Max Verstappen was at fault for his crash with Lando Norris at the Austrian GP - but believes the punishment fitted the Red Bull star's actions. The two championship contenders came together at turn three with seven laps remaining at the Red Bull Ring after spending many laps in fierce battle with each other.

Sensing Norris was about to overtake on the outside, Verstappen steered into his path and touched his brakes, causing the McLaren driver to make contact with the rear of the Red Bull engine. Norris suffered a puncture and was forced to retire while Verstappen was able to finish the race in fifth position, albeit while being handed a 10 second penalty.

The Brit described Verstappen's driving as "dangerous" while McLaren team principal Andrea Stella compared the incident to the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP, when Lewis Hamilton crashed into the back of Verstappen not long after being ordered to allow the Brit to pass. While lots claim Verstappen's punishment was not firm enough, Herbert believes the right decision was made.

While speaking to Coin Poker, Herbert said: "When we were watching it, it immediately came down to whose fault was it. And it was Max's. The interesting thing is we were just about to penalise Lando at the time because he had gone outside the track limit four times and we gave him a five-second penalty literally at the moment they came into contact.

"We were dealing with that when the contact happened and I looked up and saw the tyre off."

When asked about whether something stronger than a 10 second penalty could have been imposed, Herbert added: "That is the hardest one that can be applied under FIA guidelines that we operate under as stewards. McLaren have said it should have been harsher, but that is the game all teams play.

"If someone had flipped over or been barrel rolling down the track I don't know if that would have changed things. Forcing a driver off the circuit or causing an incident is what it came under. That was the maximum sanction we could have taken."

While Verstappen aspires to win every race, he managed to extend his lead at the top of the standings in Spielberg. His fifth placed finish saw the gap between him and second placed Norris increase from 71 points to 81.

This news would have angered Norris and McLaren even more, as the Brit has been pushing Verstappen all the way in recent weeks. Reflecting on the crash, Stella claimed the sport has seen Verstappen drive in this way since he was competing with Hamilton. After the race, Stella said: "The entire population in the world would know who was responsible (for the crash) except for a group of people. But the problem behind it is that if you don't address these things honestly, then they will come back.

"They came back today because they were not addressed in the past where there were some fights with Lewis that needed to be punished in a harsher way. We have so much respect for Max and we have so much respect for Red Bull that they don't need to do this. They compromise their reputations, and why would you do that?

"The stewards found Max was fully at blame so it is not about racing in a driver's way, but about racing within the regulations, and the regulations must be enforced in a way that is effective because when a car is out of the race as a consequence of this accident, the punishment needs to be proportionate to the outcome."

2024-07-02T14:32:59Z dg43tfdfdgfd