"I would've said him but yeah": Lando Norris says he will not party with Max Verstappen after the duo's incident in Austria

F1 buddies Lando Norris and Max Verstappen are currently at odds with each other after their clash in the final laps of the Austrian GP, while racing for the victory.

The duo battled toe-to-toe for several laps before disaster struck when both drivers made contact forcing the McLaren driver to retire, while the Red Bull ace dropped to fifth. Verstappen has shrugged off the incident, while Norris has been vocal in criticizing his rival's aggressive racing style.

Ahead of the British GP, Lando Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri appeared on Capital UK. The host asked both drivers which F1 driver they would party with if they were to secure a 1-2 podium finish in the coming weeks. Norris initially mentioned he would have chosen Max Verstappen, but given the recent incident, he chose his former McLaren teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

"I mean, I probably would have said Max [Verstappen], but yeah...Who would I go, umm, Daniel Ricciardo. I can't go wrong with Daniel." he said.

Oscar Piastri on the other hand was asked to pick one of the Ferrari drivers. He chose Charles Leclerc, while Norris picked his former teammate Carlos Sainz.

"I would choose Charles." Piastri said.

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, longtime friends off the track, have recently turned into fierce rivals on it, with McLaren upswing in performance. Norris has come close to challenging Verstappen for race wins in recent weeks, finishing a few seconds behind the 3x champion.

In the Austrian GP, however, a bad pitstop for Verstappen closed the gap between the two drivers battling for the race win, which eventually ended on a disappointing note for both drivers. The incident has created plenty of buzz on social media, putting their friendship to the test.

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Helmut Marko reveals the aftermath of Lando Norris-Max Verstappen clash

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko commented on the aftermath of the incident between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, revealing that the duo did not fly back together after the race, which they typically do.

Marko also suggested that Norris's comments about losing respect for the three-time F1 champion don't help in such a situation. He added that the duo would soon talk to each other and reconcile.

"Norris’ comments that Max should apologise are not very helpful. But they will meet to talk things out," he said in coversation with OE24.

When queried if they flew back together, the 81-year-old replied:

"They usually fly together, but this time they were travelling separately. So Max had a quiet return flight."

Helmut Marko was also critical of Lando Norris's comments on the radio, labeling them "pathetic". He described the crash as a racing incident further mentioning that the McLaren driver had overstepped the line.