The issues of the 2024 Austrian GP remain unresolved. Trails of statements, series of blame games, and whatnot! And as it seems, things won’t subside so soon and so easily. Lando Norris wants an apology from Max Verstappen, and Helmut Marko is criticizing Red Bull’s management. The situation is chaotic. Meanwhile, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has taken up the responsibility to slam the stewards in Spielberg. Stella is upset about the steward’s ‘inconsistent’ judgment. He believes this affected his team’s finish in the Grand Prix.

Ex-Ferrari boss Peter Windsor has advice for Lando Norris regarding the situation. Complimenting Norris for his smart driving, Windsor pointed out that these recent episodes will soon not affect Lando, instead, it could be problematic and Norris must stay away from all these noises. The pundit further sends a clear warning to Lando, stating that he mustn’t pay much heed to his team principal’s words because that be more troublesome. Here’s what Peter Windsor said.

“Trashing Max will start to sit in Lando’s psyche”: Peter Windsor alerts Lando Norris

On his YouTube live, F1 pundit Peter Windsor spoke about how Andrea Stella’s recent harsh comments could have an ill effect on Lando Norris. The expert strongly believes: “If he [Lando] really starts to believe what Andreas Stella is saying then it might be a problem because he might be starting to think  “I’m driving to one set of rules and Max is driving to another set of rules”.” This could hurt Lando Norris’ performance, which is the last thing he wants.

Windsor further talks about Andrea Stella’s approach to the chaos. Stella should support his driver, but saying Max’s actions were terrible isn’t the best way to motivate Lando. Instead, “Say great Race by both of them ended in tears won’t happen again Lando was brilliant let’s move on,” remarked Peter Windsor, adding, “All that stuff of trashing Max will start to sit in Lando’s psyche if he’s not careful.”

If that happens, Lando might think Max Verstappen has different rules, which is dangerous for team management. It is human nature to believe in things they hear on repeat. His friendship with Max is at risk after Sunday’s race and adding more fuel to the dispute could only worsen the situation. What did Andrea Stella say that prompted the expert to warn Lando Norris?

Andrea Stella bashes stewards; and says: “For me, it’s a big shame”

Here’s what McLaren‘s team principal told the media in the paddock: “The race today has given us a lot of good information to fix some of the aspects which are needed to go racing in a way where we can enjoy these kinds of battles until the chequered flag. For me, it is a big shame that we didn’t see the last six, seven laps because they would have been quite entertaining, and they are not entertaining because simply the rules were not enforced.” This implies that Stella ‘observed’ a disparity in judgment during the race. This statement has enraged fans and experts who think these grave allegations are baseless. Some called out Stella and accused him of poorly managing Lando in Spielberg!

In previous instances, teams have accused race stewards of unfair judgments, and in extreme cases, fans have also expressed their discontent. Many argue strongly that Max should have been disqualified rather than receiving a 10-second penalty, suggesting possible special treatment despite colliding with Norris. Drawing comparisons, some point out that if Max deserved disqualification, then Lewis Hamilton should also have been disqualified from the 2021 British Grand Prix for a similar, albeit more significant incident. This comparison suggests that in the eyes of the stewards and Formula 1 overall, all drivers are considered equal, regardless of their championship titles.

While the race incident was unfortunate, both drivers must take responsibility. The situation is sensitive enough and any more harsh statements from any side would only add to the problems. Meanwhile, both drivers must sift through facts and know what they believe in and what they must ignore. F1 enthusiasts are already missing the Max-Lando duo. The British Grand Prix lies ahead of the two drivers. All eyes would be on them. In the hope that they reconcile and return on the track with the same old camaraderie. What do you think about Peter Windsor’s comments? Let us know!