LANDO NORRIS GETS CLEAR MAX VERSTAPPEN MESSAGE AFTER DEMANDING APOLOGY FROM RED BULL STAR

David Coulthard has told Lando Norris that he shouldn't expect an apology from Max Verstappen after the pair's collision at the Austrian Grand Prix, instead suggesting that 'hell will freeze over' before the Dutchman owns up to his role in the contact on lap 64.

Norris was on course for a second career victory as he hunted down Verstappen on better tyres, but after a couple of failed overtaking attempts, the pair collided with the blame attributed to the Red Bull driver.

However, a 10-second penalty for Verstappen had no effect on his finishing position, while the damage caused by a total tyre delamination on the right rear of Norris' car ensured that the McLaren driver could not finish the race.

Until now, Norris and Verstappen have been close friends, but the Brit had a stern warning for his rival after the collision at the Red Bull Ring, "I don't know, it depends what he says," Norris told Sky Sports F1 when asked about the future of their friendship.

"If he says he did nothing wrong, then I'll lose a lot of respect for that. If he admits to being a bit stupid and running into me and being a bit reckless in a way, then I'll lose a small amount of respect for him.

"But it's still a tough one to take when you're fighting for the win. I'm trying to be fair from my side and he just wasn't. I don't know, that's all I'm thinking about. I don't care now, I'm just gutted for the team."

However, according to former Red Bull driver Coulthard, there is little chance of this happening. "Hell freezing over is the expression," he told Channel 4. "Max is going to go, 'I was racing, it's hard racing'.

"This is the first time Lando is experiencing going wheel to wheel on a weekend in, weekend out basis. We know how it worked when it was Lewis [Hamilton] going wheel to wheel with Max [in their infamous 2021 title fight]. Max is one of the hardest racers. To beat him, you've got to match him."

Thankfully for Norris, he will get an instance chance to respond to his first DNF of the season when the paddock unpacks at Silverstone this weekend, and the 24-year-old will have a passionate home crowd behind him.

2024-07-01T14:13:53Z dg43tfdfdgfd