F1 News: Lando Norris Reveals 'Longer Term' Issues After Max Verstappen Clash

Alex Harrington | Jul 4, 2024

Jun 8, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; McLaren driver Lando Norris (GBR) races during qualifying at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

On the Formula One track, the repercussions of an incident can extend far beyond the checkered flag. This was evident during last weekend's Austrian Grand Spear, held at the Red Bull Ring, where Lando Norris's McLaren car suffered significant damage following a crash with Max Verstappen. Norris had to retire prematurely from the race, leading to immediate and potentially long-term challenges for the McLaren team.

Norris described the incident’s aftermath, stating it "destroyed [his] car," particularly damaging what he referred to as "the best bits on the car [now] for the bin." These parts, crucial to the car’s performance, are now rendered unusable, forcing the team into a costly and strenuous recovery plan amidst a packed racing schedule.

McLaren’s response to the accident has been swift. Anticipating the rigorous demands of F1's triple-header, the team had previously employed a methodology of refurbishing older, damaged components such as floors. Norris confirmed:

"We have some spare floors that were already damaged before, which we’ve been able to repair and get things ready for." He praised his team’s foresight and efficiency: "The team has done an amazing job to get things ready. We knew with three races in a row, easily things can go wrong and you can easily have a lot of damage."

However, the crash's impact might resonate beyond the immediate logistical hurdles. As the F1 circus heads to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix—marking the end of the season’s first triple-header—Norris is mindful of the broader implications. Under the stringent F1 cost cap rules, financial resources have to be judiciously managed.

"It’s not hard to damage a floor in the first place – you run over a kerb and it can be damaged quite easily," Norris shared.  "So, the team did a good job to make sure that we had enough, [that] we’ve got some more for this weekend, and some repaired ones."

Additional repairs from the crash, such as to sidepods and brake ducts—which Norris mentions, saying, "Like a sidepod, brake ducts – all these kinds of things, they all add up"—pose further challenges under the budget constraints. Norris continued.

“When you’re in a tight fight for a championship and you’re pushing hard, you’re always trying to push the boundaries of everything besides the racing – the budget cap and everything, and CFD, all those types of things – you just want every bit of money possible."

While the team has managed to ready the car for the upcoming race, with Norris affirming: “Everything is ok. It’s more just longer-term stuff it’s impacted more than just this weekend."