Max Verstappen F1 BAN called for after Lando Norris collision

Max Verstappen in Austria — Photo: © IMAGO

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Fellow racer calls for Verstappen BAN after Norris collision

The fallout from the top two's incident has begun

Rhys Thomas

Monday 1 July 2024 20:12 Updated: 19:26

A driver has claimed that Max Verstappen should face 'an instant race ban' for his role in the collision which ended Lando Norris' race and left Verstappen needing to repair a puncture.

The Red Bull driver was leading the race comfortably from pole, but a slow pit stop on lap 52 brought Norris into contention, and the two had multiple close calls as they fought for first position.

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Norris dived down the inside and the pair ran off the track just laps before contact was made and both drivers suffered punctures and limped back to the pits.

This time, Verstappen was the offender in the eyes of pundits and stewards, who gave the reigning champion a 10-second time penalty.

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen collided late on in Austria

The Red Bull and McLaren drivers suffered punctures after their collision

Verstappen 'deliberately' forced Norris off

Whilst Verstappen's driving may have been seen as on the limit, 'hard racing', or taking things too far by many, one fellow driver has gone a step further in their analysis.

Drivers often do not take kindly to moves that can be perceived as intentional, and British racer Bradley Philpot believes Verstappen should be banned for his actions.

"Trying to run a car off the road who you’ve just crashed into, whilst you’re driving with a rear puncture, should be an instant race ban," he wrote on X.

Philpot is a two-time Nürburgring Endurance champion, as well as having a 24 Hours of Silverstone victory to his name.

"Max caused a crash and then deliberately forced the car he’d just crashed into to take to the grass on a straight," he claimed.

"He hasn’t matured. He simply had less competition for the last few years."

Verstappen attracted something of an unwanted reputation early in his F1 career for his aggressive and sometimes incident-prone driving.

He has not faced regular wheel-to-wheel combat for wins since 2021, when controversy shrouded the title battle with Lewis Hamilton after multiple crashes and near misses even before the infamous Abu Dhabi finale.

The Dutchman, though, has more than proven his ability and temperament since as he has gone on to claim two more championship titles. On this occasion, however, he may have gone over the limit.

Trying to run a car off the road who you’ve just crashed into, whilst you’re driving with a rear puncture, should be an instant race ban.

Max caused a crash and then deliberately forced the car he’d just crashed into to take to the grass on a straight.

He hasn’t matured. He…
— Brad Philpot 🏎🏁 (@BradleyPhilpot) June 30, 2024