It’s no secret that Max Verstappen’s robust racecraft has prompted questions over whether he oversteps the mark during his defensive driving.
In the laps before colliding with Lando Norris while defending his Austrian Grand Prix lead, the McLaren driver could be heard over team radio complaining about the Red Bull erratically switching lines during the braking zones of corners.
Verstappen knew he could get away with moves that were on the edge of what is acceptable in the rulebook, but it left some to question why he was doing so in the first place.
Norris had already clocked up a five-second time penalty for multiple track limit infringements, meaning any overtake would have the caveat of the McLaren driver needing to build up a gap before the end of the race.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believed the controversial contact between the pair could have been avoided when speaking to Austrian news outlet Kleine Zeitung.
Helmut Marko explains how they could have avoided the crash
Verstappen was comfortably ahead by more than six seconds, but it was a slow pit stop and a subsequent front tyre lock-up that put him in the clutches of Norris.
The Red Bull driver put up a stern defence but it ultimately ended in tears when he collided with Norris as he attempted a move around the outside of Turn 3. Both suffered punctures and had to pit again, but it was only Verstappen who could continue after Norris inflicted too much damage on his in-lap.
Marko believes a personality trait in Verstappen potentially contributed to the contact, as the Dutchman failed to look at the bigger picture.
“At some point we could have told Max that Norris would probably get a penalty and that he should let him go,” said Marko.
“In hindsight, but the problem is that you can’t tell that to Verstappen. He doesn’t like being overtaken.”
The collision cost Max Verstappen 15 points
Although Verstappen extended his championship lead by another 11 points from Lando Norris, the collision effectively cost him another 15 points in the championship.
Assuming he would have been within five seconds at the line when Norris overtook him, in the context of the Constructors’ Championship it could prove to be costly.
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Red Bull only leads McLaren by 87 points, with the latter having emerged as the favourite in the last few races and expected to stay strong through the European rounds.
With the consistency from Oscar Piastri, the race-winning pace exhibited by Norris, and Sergio Perez failing to match Verstappen, it could see that lead shrink as the rest of the season progresses.
The post ‘In hindsight’: Helmut Marko shares how Red Bull could have avoided Max Verstappen crash that cost him victory appeared first on F1 Oversteer.