ROUND 11: 🇦🇹 Austria
FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX 2024
Circuit stats
- First Grand Prix: 1970
- Number of laps: 71
- Circuit Length: 4.318 km
- Race Distance: 306.452 km
- Lap record: 1:05.619 Carlos Sainz (2020)
- 2023 winner: Max Verstappen
FORMULA 1 QATAR AIRWAYS AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX 2024
I don’t think it’s that straight forward. Norris dove so deep he almost went off track himself. He didn’t leave Verstappen space so Verstappen had to go off track. Implying Norris had the right for the position sets a dangerous precedent where you can simply divebomb deep into the corner, cut off the entire corner and the person you want to pass has to give the position to you.
You’re allowed to almost go off the track.
That was to point out that he didn’t leave room for Verstappen. If Norris is already almost off the track, where is Verstappen supposed to go? Magically teleport through Norris?
Brake, wait for the road to be clear. Not overtake off the track.
But if Max wanted to overtake because he was quicker out of the corner? Where would he go?
Every driver has a few choices. Brake and wait, go off the track, or collide. You’re not allowed to overtake off track, and you shouldn’t cause a collision, so what’s left?
But that is not for Max to decide. The stewards could have given Lando a penalty for that. But Max definitely should have given the position to Lando IMO.
On paper I completely agree, Max should’ve given the position back. But in reality I think we both know why he didn’t and why I think it was fair game. You even allude to the reason.
Just as they could have punished Lando for it they also could have punished Verstappen for not letting Lando pass. The stewards are wildly inconsistent and if I was a racer I wouldn’t put my GP win in the hands of the stewards. Unless I’m clearly in the wrong the most logical course of action is to do what’s best for me at that moment and then argue with the stewards later. Another example of stewards being inconsistent is the fact that Verstappen didn’t get punished for taking the position back. He absolutely should’ve gotten punished for it, but he didn’t. The stewards play loose with rules so drivers must also play loose with the rules if they want to win.
Imagine if Verstappen had given that position to Norris and then stewards had done nothing to punish Norris. People would have called Verstappen a sucker for giving up the position because why would you willingly give up your position in such a gray area? Verstappen is driving to win and that means he’s not going to give up a position just so he could be “in the right”. Being in the right doesn’t mean you get to win. The winners mindset is that if you can be in the right and win then that’s great, but if can’t achieve that you’d much rather be in the wrong and win than be in the right and not win. That doesn’t apply only to Verstappen, Norris would also be just as fine being in the wrong and winning. Same with a lot of other drivers.
2021 set that precedent, that was Max’s signature move. Brake late to get ahead on the inside, go wide, and push your opponent off the track.
Max set the precedent that you can do such a divebomb not that you couldn’t retake off track. You’re arguing to make the move even stronger by disallowing retaking off track.