Max Verstappen makes direct point to Lando Norris after ‘rallying’ at Spanish GP

Max Verstappen told Lando Norris he slowed both of them down at the start of the Spanish Grand Prix, after his defence saw him take to the grass.

Norris moved across to defend after the Red Bull driver got a marginally better getaway in Spain, with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya having one of the longest runs to the first braking zone of the season, and Verstappen kicked up dust as he grazed the grass as a result of Norris’ defence.

Max Verstappen: ‘We slowed each other down’

Both drivers were on the right-hand side of the track heading down to Turn 1, with the charging Mercedes of George Russell slipstreaming the pair of them.

He had enough room to move onto the racing line and out-brake both drivers, sweeping around the outside and taking the lead of the race as a result.

While Verstappen quickly got past the Mercedes driver, Norris believes his start – slipping down from first to third – played a big part in not converting his second career pole position into a race victory on Sunday.

Both drivers took the top two places on the road once again however, and in the cooldown room after the race, their exchange was caught on camera as they watched the footage back.

Norris asked: “George started on the mediums?”

Verstappen responded: “Yes. You don’t think that when we get alongside [one another], we also slow each other down?”

Norris: “There’s plenty of space.”

Verstappen: “We slowed each other down.”

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Norris added: “If I braked any later, I’d be f***** over the barrier!”

Verstappen: “Probably George as well.”

Norris: “George upside-down in the gravel.”

Third-placed Lewis Hamilton watched on after his first podium of the season, adding his belief he should have been closer to the pair of them: “That’s where I should have been. [Russell] was slow ahead of you.”

Verstappen added: “Yeah. But it’s just that one lap where you have a chance. Otherwise the tyres overheat.”

Norris: “The first two laps, the tyres are unbelievable…”

Verstappen: “Then you get stuck.”

Norris: “On the medium stint I struggled to get past for five laps. But as soon as I got past…”

Verstappen gives a thumbs up: “That was great. I was like, ‘thank you!’”

Hamilton: “Maybe if I hadn’t had that s**** start, I don’t think there would’ve had been as big a gap to you guys.”

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