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Daniel Ricciardo has come out in support of Max Verstappen as he addressed the backlash received by the Dutch driver for the collision with Lando Norris in Austria. The F1 Austrian GP was a very intriguing race that featured a battle for the win between the Red Bull and McLaren drivers. Lando had the edge as he had fresher tires under him, while Max was holding firm, trying not to give an inch to his adversary.
The two were involved in a fierce battle that ultimately ended with Max Verstappen and Lando Norris making contact, which led to a puncture for both drivers. Since then, the Red Bull driver was a target of criticism in the media.
Even McLaren senior management took shots at Max Verstappen, with team principal Andrea Stella claiming that the driver wasn't penalized enough for his actions in 2021, and hence we're looking at a repeat of something similar.
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Daniel Ricciardo was questioned about this during the F1 British GP race weekend, to which the Australian expressed surprise at the comparison. Daniel also feels that the whole thing was being blown out of proportion.
He told the media, including Sportskeeda:
“That’s the first time hearing [this]. I think referencing something a few years ago… like it sounds like people are probably hammering Max a bit. I don’t know, it sounds like it’s probably blown a little bit out of proportion.”
To add to this, Daniel said that Max Verstappen, from day one, has been a very aggressive driver, and the way he raced with Lando Norris was not something out of character for him.
He said:
“No one in this sport wants to be the one that gets bullied. You want to stand your ground against everyone. And obviously, it’s your reputation as well. And when people come up to you on track, you don’t want them to think, ‘Oh, this guy is going to be an easy one for me’. So you always want to have your elbows out to an extent."
He added:
“We know Max from day one, has always had his out. And I think just naturally in his DNA, he is just a tough racer. So it’s not something he has to really dig deep for. That’s just how he races."
Lando Norris learned a lesson against Max Verstappen during the Austrian GP sprint
Daniel Ricciardo felt that Lando Norris also learned a lesson or two on how to race Max Verstappen during the Austrian GP sprint the previous day. The McLaren driver had overtaken the Red Bull at turn 3 but when he left the door open on the inside going into turn 4, Max pounced on it.
This led to Lando losing the opportunity to win the sprint and hence, in the race, he was even more aggressive against Max Verstappen.
Talking about the McLaren driver's approach, Daniel Ricciardo said:
“I think Lando learned that on Saturday [in the Sprint when he overtook Verstappen and the Red Bull driver came back the very next corner]. He thought he probably had it done and Max said, ‘Not today’. You live, and you learn."
He added:
“Lando made some bold moves on Sunday and had his elbows out, too and I said it was unfortunate that the outcome was what it was.”
The clash did cause some level of tension between the two drivers, but things were back to being cordial between the two in Silverstone.
