AZERBAIJAN: McLaren driver Lando Norris injected a bit of humour into the tense atmosphere following George Russell’s collision with Max Verstappen during the sprint race of the Baku Grand Prix. The two drivers clashed on the first lap of the sprint race, with Verstappen accusing Russell of overly-aggressive driving that caused bodywork damage to his Red Bull.
The British-Belgian driver who is friends with both drivers, teased Russell about the incident during a pre-race interview. Russell and Verstappen clashed during the sprint race, with the Red Bull driver accusing the Williams driver of driving aggressively and causing damage to his car.
Verstappen was particularly irked by what he saw as Russell running him off the track at one point and let his anger show in a heated exchange after the race. When Norris and Russell gave an interview on the pre-race grid, Norris couldn’t resist joking about the incident.
“I told him earlier he just needs to watch out he doesn’t run into anyone today,” Norris quipped before adding that he was actually on Russell’s side in the argument.
Norris then hinted that there could be more fireworks between Russell and Verstappen. Verstappen had warned Russell to “expect the same next time” they were on the track together, but Norris joked that he was “looking forward to that”.
The incident between Russell and Verstappen has been the subject of much debate, with some suggesting that Verstappen’s reaction was overblown.
Norris seemed to take a middle ground, telling the media, “If you’re going to give, you have to take.”
In the end, Verstappen finished second in the Grand Prix, while Russell had to settle for eighth.
But the light-hearted banter between Norris and Russell showed that there can still be some humour even in the heat of competition.
The incident between Russell and Verstappen has been a hot debate among F1 fans, with some suggesting that Russell’s aggressive driving was justified, given Verstappen’s history of tough racing.
Others have criticized Russell for risking a collision with one of the sport’s top drivers.
Whatever the case, it’s clear that the incident has not dented the camaraderie between Norris and Russell, who have been close friends since their junior racing days.
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