In the midst of high-speed drama at the Austrian Grand Prix, a costly clash between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen has left McLaren with a substantial repair bill.
On lap 64 of the Austrian Grand Prix, Norris attempted to challenge Verstappen for the lead, diving into the braking zone at Turn 3. However, as he maneuvered around the outside of Verstappen’s Red Bull, a sudden leftward move from Verstappen resulted in contact between the two cars. Both drivers suffered rear-wheel punctures as a result.
While Verstappen managed to pit for new tires and finished the race in fifth place, Norris had to retire, crawling back to the pits with extensive damage. Visibly frustrated, Norris expressed his concerns to the media, highlighting the repercussions of the collision. He pointed out that the damage went beyond just the tire, potentially putting him at a disadvantage at Silverstone the following weekend.
Norris lamented the loss of key parts of his car, which were critical for upcoming races. He remarked, ‘The best bits of the car – all for the bin. We don’t have a lot of space in the battle that we’re in, in terms of upgrades and budget cap and things like that. My whole car’s destroyed – and these are all the bits that we needed for next week. It’s not just a repercussion of what happens on the track, it’s everything that now we have to carry into Silverstone and be disadvantaged by.’
The financial toll of the damage to Norris’ MCL38, which included the front wing, nose, sidepod, rear wing, and the floor, amounted to a staggering €595,000, as reported by Dutch website f1maximaal.nl. In contrast, Red Bull’s repair costs for the incident, specifically to Verstappen’s floor and brake drum, amounted to €210,000.
Formula 1 is currently navigating its fourth season under a cost cap, which amplifies the impact of such financial hits. While Red Bull’s repair expenses this season are close to €4 million, partly due to Sergio Perez’s significant crash at the Monaco GP, McLaren’s tally stands at over €1.5 million.
The clash between Norris and Verstappen at the Austrian Grand Prix underscores the financial and competitive challenges faced by teams in the cost-cap era of Formula 1. As teams strive to balance performance with budget constraints, such incidents can have far-reaching implications.
