McLaren had discussions with the FIA about the Lando Norris-Max Verstappen collision

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella claimed that the team had a conversation with the FIA to gain clarity about the incident with Max Verstappen and Lando Norris at the Austrian GP last weekend. The duo were embroiled in an epic tussle for the race lead which saw both's chances of winning vanish after their collision on Lap 64 of 71 on Sunday, June 30.

The McLaren driver was adamant about not yielding his position on the outside of the Verstappen's RB20 and he believed that the three-time world champion moved under braking and did not give him enough room.

Stella was critical of the Dutch driver's defensive antics at the Red Bull Ring and claimed that he had breached the Driving Standards Guidelines. Speaking with Sky Sports at Silverstone, the McLaren team principal mentioned that they met with the FIA to raise the matter and did not discuss it with Red Bull, and rubbished claims of any animosity between the teams. He said:

"Our counterpart in this kind of conversation is the FIA. Okay, there's nothing personal, there's nothing polarised. I think I said immediately [after the race] that we have a lot of respect for Red Bull, for Max, for what they have achieved, but our counterpart is the FIA and the stewards.

"We sought clarification, and we were satisfied with the answer we received from the stewards and the FIA." he added.

McLaren CEO takes shots at Red Bull for defending Max Verstappen

McLaren CEO Zak Brown stated he felt Max Verstappen wouldn't change his driving style and would continue to move under braking while defending his position until he gets told about the regulations.

As per Sky Sports, the American said:

"Max and Lando were just duking it out as you'd expect them to do, and until someone tells Max, 'hey, that's against the regulations,' he's not going to know any different. So I think there were missed opportunities for the stewards to make note."

He further added that he was 'disappointed' with Red Bull and its senior management for encouraging the Dutch driver to drive beyond the regulations, adding:

"Also disappointed that such a great team like Red Bull, the leadership almost encourages it. Because you listen on the radio to what was said. We all have a responsibility on pit wall to tell our drivers the dos and don'ts of what's going on in the race." he added.

Despite some hints of initial tensions between Verstappen and Norris after the incident in Austria, the McLaren driver said that he and Verstappen had spoken about the clash and sorted out any lingering issues from last weekend. The 24-year-old further added that he and his friend would continue to race hard and wouldn't back down in the upcoming battles.