F1 fans deliver emphatic verdict on Verstappen-Norris clash

When Max Verstappen and Lando Norris collided at the Austrian Grand Prix, is was the flashpoint that transformed a simmering race into the seasons defining moment so far.

The McLaren driver had been knocking on the door of an overtake for some laps - and had initially got past before the RB20 re-took the lead.

Verstappen enjoyed a comfortable advantage heading into the second round of pit stops, but a slow tyre change on lap 51 brought Norris back into the fold. 

The Briton subsequently reeled in the Dutchman, which produced a number of close calls over a period of 10 laps as the McLaren sought a way past.

Their duel finally came to blows on lap 64, when approaching Turn 3, Norris threw his MCL38 up the outside, but as Verstappen drifted over in the braking zone their rear wheels banged, causing punctures for both.

Although they both nursed their cars back to the pits, only the three-time drivers' champion was able to continue. He ultimately finished in fifth, having also received a 10-second time penalty after the stewards' found him at fault.

Who, if either, was ultimately to blame provided a contentious issue both outside the paddock and in. Some called it Verstappen of old, whilst some moved the 26-year-old's defensive techniques.

However, in a recent poll conducted by RacingNews365, just shy of 70 percent of the 67,779 respondents did indeed find the Dutchman to be responsible for the crash, with a little under one in four people viewing it to be a racing incident.

This is a topic that will continue to blossom over the British Grand Prix. What happened at the Red Bull Ring may prove to be the catalyst, but what comes next might establish a new friend-to-foes rivalry in F1.

For further information, please see the full results of the latest RacingNews365 poll below.