"What we talk about and how things go is between us": Lando Norris opens up on communication with Max Verstappen after Austria clash

Lando Norris has revealed that he's had communication with Max Verstappen after the clash in Austria and expects things to be better when they meet. The two drivers have been friends off the track and tend to go from one race to another on the same private jet. At the same time, both of them are fighting for the top positions in F1 every race weekend.

The latest iteration of their battle saw Max Verstappen trying to defend the race lead from Lando Norris in the dying stages of the F1 Austrian GP. During his defense, the Red Bull driver had tried a few questionable moves. The first was moving under braking when Lando was about to attack him. The second was going off track and gaining advantage for which he didn't cede position either.

Due to the aggressive nature of the battle, the two would make contact and both drivers would suffer damage. The blame for the crash was on Max Verstappen, as he once again moved under braking while Lando Norris was on the outside. Max was given a 10-second penalty which he vehemently disagreed with.

Talking to the media afterward, Lando Norris made it clear that if Max Verstappen didn't acknowledge his mistake then he would lose respect for him. In an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, Lando revealed that he'd texted Max, and whatever conversation they have will be between the two. He said,

“We want to race hard and we both know that. But we definitely don’t want things ending like they did. We want to make sure we avoid that in the future. We’ve texted. We’re going to have a chat, of course, because I think it’s the correct thing to do. But apart from that, what we talk about and how things go is between us.”

Lando Norris on the emotions behind his battle with Max Verstappen

Lando Norris opened up about his battle with Max Verstappen and said since he was battling for only his second F1 win, he felt that he let the adrenaline get the better of him. The driver admitted that since he's not already achieved the kind of success that Max has, it's very different for the two of them. He said,

“I think so. Like we’ve said many times, because of the respect we still have, I’m not going to let something like that suddenly blow up everything. Definitely my adrenaline side probably got a little the better of me in a few of the comments. I don’t think everything I said was probably as correct as what it should be."

He added,

“But I was fighting for one of my first wins; it was my second win on the cards. For Max, it’s his 60th. So what it means to me is very different to what it means to him. So of course I am going to be upset and maybe say some things that are not correct or as I would like them to come out, but we will be fine.”

The two drivers have been friends off the track and are among the very few drivers who have been able to maintain a relationship outside of racing. It will be interesting to see how they manage their relationship in the future because the on-track intensity is not going to drop.