BREAKING SHOCK:Horner Responds to McLaren’s ‘Wrong’ Verstappen Allegations.He said….
Christian Horner has responded to McLaren boss Andrea Stella’s criticisms regarding Max Verstappen’s conduct after his collision with Lando Norris.
The Red Bull and McLaren drivers collided at Turn 3 while vying for the lead in the Austrian Grand Prix. Verstappen faced widespread condemnation for moving under braking, which led to the collision.
The incident ended Norris’s race, while Verstappen received a 10-second time penalty and two penalty points from the stewards. Despite this, he finished fifth and actually extended his championship lead over Norris by 10 points, instead of the seven it would have been if he had finished behind the Briton.
Stella criticized Verstappen’s driving style, referencing his aggressive tactics during the 2021 title battle against Lewis Hamilton, particularly in the Brazilian and Saudi Arabian races, where he forced Hamilton wide or divebombed the Mercedes without receiving harsh penalties.
Horner, who revealed that talks between Verstappen and Norris had taken place, disagreed with Stella’s remarks.
“He raced incredibly hard in 2021, he’s a tough racer, and he hasn’t been racing anyone for two years because he’s been out front so much,” Horner told Sky Sports News.
“He was punished in 2021 if he did something wrong, just as Lewis was for things he did wrong during their intense battle that year.
“I think it’s wrong and unfair to label a driver like that. I’m sure it was frustrating for Andrea in the heat of the moment, but that’s just tough racing. He worked with Michael Schumacher [at Ferrari] for so many years—he of all people should understand that.”
