F1 World Echoes Andrea Stella as Max Verstappen’s ‘Lack of Respect’ Becomes Evident

The outcome of the Austrian Grand Prix was completely unexpected. Although Max Verstappen led the majority of his home race, towards the last laps, Lando Norris got extremely close. After being overtaken by Norris, Verstappen took back his position, and the defending began. Many times in the last few laps, Norris took a chance to attack Red Bull; however, Verstappen was driving dangerously. In the end, it cost both drivers the race as they made serious contact.

It was clear that Max Verstappen was at fault, and the stewards issued a 10-second penalty. However, Andrea Stella was not happy with the outcome and made a public statement about it after the race. Ever since then, many figures from the F1 community have come forward to speak of their take on Verstappen’s driving. According to many, it was considered unsporty and unexpected from the defending champion and here is what everyone had to say.

What Will Buxton and Jolyon Palmer have to say about Max Verstappen in Austria?

After the race that had the most unexpected ending with George Russell winning the Austrian GP, everyone’s heads turned toward Max Verstappen. It is unusual for the three-time world champion to drive so recklessly. After Verstappen and Norris collided on the last few laps of the race, the McLaren had to be retired. The Red Bull ended up finishing the race and coming in P5. Will Buxton posted his analysis of Verstappen’s driving on Twitter, and he was not impressed with the Dutchman’s driving.

On another note, Jolyon Palmer spoke about the respect between the athletes. Palmer addressed how Norris still continued to show Verstappen respect after the incident. He continued to explain how Verstappen did not show the same kind of respect when he was racing against Lewis Hamilton in 2021. According to Palmer, the Dutch champion has been operating in “gray” areas like he used to in the past. Mentioning that McLaren must be frustrated as Verstappen decided to go back to driving like he did before he became a world champion.

While these two spoke about Verstappen’s approach to the race, Damon Hill along with David Croft commended Andrea Stella’s outtake from the race.

F1 pundits commend Andrea Stella’s views on the race

After the race, Andrea Stella was asked about the collision between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. When asked about the crash, Stella stated, “The entire population of the world would know who is responsible except for a group of people. We have so much respect for Red Bull and Max, they don’t need to do this.” Former world champion Damon Hill watched the interview and had to react to Stella’s sportsmanship. Ultimately stating that it was a good race, he concluded his statement on Twitter after commending Stella for his words.

David Croft started his comment quite philosophically on Andrea Stella’s take on the race. Stating that Stella’s analysis has been thoughtful, fair, and balanced, Croft also spoke about how he was spot on about Red Bull’s reaction when they were against Mercedes in 2021. Now that the British Grand Prix is next, Croft believes that this is not the last we hear about the incident.

There is still more than half a season left before we decide who the world champion is. Looking at Lando Norris’ pace, it’s clear that he is in the fight for winning races. The two drivers will go head-to-head again at Silverstone and that’s where the showdown will continue. If the two drivers had not met with the accident, who do you think would have won the Austrian GP? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.