The collision between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris will understandably be the biggest talking point of the Austrian Grand Prix.
The intrigue for Formula 1 fans will be whether it now sets the tone for the rest of the season with Lando Norris looking like the most likely rival for Max Verstappen.
Their collision heading into the final stages of the race handed an unexpected victory to Mercedes and George Russell.
After years of waiting, the British driver was standing on the top step of the podium after a very steady weekend and was sent a message by Norris after the race.
Russell’s reaction in the cooldown room spoke volumes about how the rest of the grid sees Verstappen.
He and Carlos Sainz immediately began to laugh, particularly after Norris tried to turn in for a second time and couldn’t find a way back onto the track due to Verstappen’s Red Bull.
Speaking after the race on Sky Sports F1, Martin Brundle was reflecting on the incident.
He had already given his verdict on who was at fault for the crash and unsurprisingly the stewards agreed with his suggestion that Verstappen was the culprit in this scenario.
However, Brundle was particularly worried by a message he heard from the Red Bull team to Verstappen after the race.
He doesn’t think the 26-year-old’s behaviour on the track is going to change any time soon.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links
Martin Brundle concerned by Red Bull message to Max Verstappen after Austrian Grand Prix
On the radio at the end of the race, Verstappen was told: “Max [Verstappen], heads up, you were given a ten-second penalty for that incident with Lando [Norris]. Just in case you were quizzed about that after the race.”
Verstappen replied: “Of course, yep sure. That’s just ridiculous. You could just send it left or right, what do you want me to do?”
The reply from the team was: ‘Yeah, he didn’t behave correctly there Max, so yeah, desperately unlucky, especially here, but you did your very best.”
Brundle responded to the comments and said: “The trouble is if you’re like that, it’ll happen again, won’t it?
“I don’t agree with that.”
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
Red Bull in trouble when Max Verstappen doesn’t drive a perfect race
For Red Bull, their success during the Austrian Grand Prix once again relied on Max Verstappen.
The Dutchman’s teammate Sergio Perez was the slowest of the eight drivers among the top four teams in qualifying and picked up damage early in the race after contact with Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari.
The Monegasque driver’s race was ruined and Perez didn’t fare much better, finishing behind the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg.
It highlights just how reliant Red Bull are on Max Verstappen and potentially why they’re happy to agree with his stance on events such as the incident with Norris even if he’s been penalised by the stewards for his driving style.
It’s impossible to know whether Norris would have eventually got past Verstappen although the way the Dutchman was defending a collision was always more likely than a clean pass.
Lewis Hamilton has dealt with the Dutchman the most during his career when he’s in this mood and now Norris looks set to be the driver tasked with finding a way past the Red Bull star.
It doesn’t look like his team are going to tell him to change his ways any time soon even if he keeps picking up penalties.
The post ‘Trouble is’: What Red Bull said to Max Verstappen after the Austrian GP that really concerned Martin Brundle appeared first on F1 Oversteer.