"I think Max Verstappen in the past has been a bit aggressive, especially with Lewis": F1 pundit weighs in on the driver's clash with Lando Norris

Former F1 world champion Jenson Button recently talked about Max Verstappen and Lando Norris' intense tussle at the 2024 F1 Austrian GP. The Brit feels that the Red Bull driver's aggression against Norris could ramp up if they get close in the title battle.

As the 2024 F1 season progresses, the title battle between Verstappen and Norris has ramped up massively. The British driver has been consistently finishing near the top step and pressurizing the Red Bull star in the process.

At the Austrian GP, both Verstappen and Norris were fighting for the race win. The three-time world champion was defending the lead, while the McLaren driver was putting pressure on him with newer medium tires. On several occasions, they overtook one another, giving fans an excellent spectacle.

Eventually, however, their cars clashed with each other on Lap 64 at Turn 3, causing punctures for both. Max Verstappen somehow finished P5, while Lando Norris had to retire from the race due to front axle and wing damage.

After the race, a slow-motion clip of their clash was circulated on X (formerly Twitter), showcasing how Verstappen moved slightly to the left to defend the position under braking.

Jenson Button was recently asked by Sky Sports about McLaren blaming the stewards for not punishing Verstappen in the 2021 F1 season and also in 2024 for his on-track antics.

The former F1 world champion explained that Verstappen had driven aggressively against Lewis Hamilton when he was in an intense title battle with the seven-time world champion. He added that the rivalry between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris could only ramp up from this point, provided the points difference in the championship decreases.

"I think Max, in the past, has been a bit overaggressive, especially against Lewis. I don't feel that it's the same way with Lando at the moment. Obviously, if they went a step further it would be," Button said.

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Red Bull team boss believes that Max Verstappen would not change his driving style against Lando Norris

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner also talked about Max Verstappen and Lando Norris' on-track battle at the Austrian GP. Speaking to Sky Sports, he initially declared that the Dutchman would not change his driving style at all and that Norris and McLaren are gradually learning how to compete against him.

He also predicted that Verstappen and Norris' battles would only intensify from this point onwards.

"Certainly, from Max's side, he's not going to change. There's an element, I think, of Lando learning how to race Max and they're discovering that. Inevitably, there is going to be more close racing between the two of them as the cars look so close over the forthcoming races," Horner said.

"Max is a hard racer - he's probably one of the hardest racers on the circuit and everybody knows that if you're going to race against Max, he's going to give as good as he gets," he added.

After the Austrian GP, Max Verstappen continues to lead the 2024 F1 drivers' championship table with 237 points, while Lando Norris is in second with 156 points.