McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has questioned Christian Horner's integrity following the on-track drama at last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris collided on lap 64 of the race while battling for the race win with the latter forced to retire his car. Verstappen was blamed for the incident by the stewards and was handed a 10-second time penalty, but still classified in fifth place to extend his championship lead. Prior to the collision, Norris was attacking Verstappen at Turn 3 and made multiple overtake attempts which failed to stick. After the race, Red Bull team boss Horner told SiriusXM that Norris “was trying to cause something up at Turn 3”, which has received backlash from Stella. “I think this kind of statement is pretty irreceivable, I would say,” Stella stated. “To some extent, I think it speaks for the integrity of the person that said that.”
McLaren: Verstappen had 'no need to defend like this'
Stella previously highlighted that warnings issued to Verstappen after Norris' complaints of moving in the braking zone could have prevented a collision. While the Italian asserted he holds admiration for Verstappen's on-track feats, he questioned the three-time world champion's defensive manoeuvres at the Red Bull Ring. “In general, we have so much respect for Max,” he said. “What he is achieving is unbelievable — he is a great driver. There is no need to defend like this. “Sometimes you just have to accept that the car behind needs to have an opportunity, and I think that what would have happened if Lando had passed, then the next lap, with the DRS, Max would have gone for it, and it would have been an incredible spectacle. “Which we missed, but hopefully we will be able to see in the future, with regulations that are enforced and both drivers fighting within the regulations.”
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