Max Verstappen has downplayed worries that he might face hostility from fans at the British Grand Prix after his collision with Lando Norris. The incident between the leading drivers in the championship on lap 64 in Austria has been a hot topic in F1 circles over the past week. Ahead of the Silverstone race, Norris retracted some of his previous statements about the incident.
Given Norris’s popularity, there’s speculation that Verstappen could be jeered by the British fans, similar to how Sebastian Vettel was booed in 2013 after the ‘multi-21’ incident with Mark Webber, and again in 2017 following his clash with Lewis Hamilton in Azerbaijan.
However, Verstappen isn’t worried about the possibility of being booed. “I’ve experienced that before, so my focus will just be on my performance,” he told reporters, including those from RacingNews365. “The most important thing for me was that everything is clear now, and we can move on. Lando and I are good friends, we discussed it, and it’s all resolved. As long as things are good between me and Lando, that’s my main concern.”
Verstappen emphasized his strong friendship with Norris off the track. He described their conversations on the Monday after the race and reaffirmed his commitment to his aggressive driving style. “I’m not going to make comparisons between drivers because it’s irrelevant. What mattered to me was maintaining my friendship with Lando, because we are close,” he explained. “After the race, I suggested we let emotions settle. We mainly talked on Monday and concluded that we actually enjoyed our duel.
“Both of us were aiming for the inside, and it was just a minor touch with significant consequences for us both, especially for Lando. We enjoy racing hard; it’s something we’ve done for years, not just in F1 but even in online racing where we’ve had a lot of fun together. This spirit should continue because it’s what we love and it’s great for Formula 1.”
