McLaren’s Stella Criticizes Verstappen’s Driving Style Following Austrian GP Incident
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has not held back in his critique of Max Verstappen's driving style, identifying it as the catalyst for the collision with McLaren's Lando Norris at the Austrian Grand Prix.
The incident, which left both drivers with punctured tires, had significant repercussions on the race's outcome. George Russell took advantage of the situation to inherit the lead and claimed victory at the Red Bull Ring.
The Stewards’ decision to penalize Verstappen with a 10-second penalty and deem him solely responsible has sparked further debate. Stella believes that Verstappen's aggressive driving style is not a new issue and has pointed to past incidents, particularly during the 2021 title battle between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, as evidence of a recurring problem.
"The entire population of the world knows who was responsible except for a group of people," Stella remarked, expressing frustration over the perceived leniency shown to Verstappen in previous seasons. "If you don't address these things honestly, they will come back. They weren't addressed properly in the past when there were fights with Lewis that needed to be punished in a harsher way," he added.
Stella's comments reflect a broader concern within the sport regarding the enforcement of racing regulations. He has called on the FIA to reassess and reinforce its rules to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
"The regulations must be enforced in a way that is effective. When a car is out of the race, as a consequence, then the punishment needs to be proportionate to the outcome," Stella emphasized.
Stella also pointed out that Verstappen’s aggressive maneuvers are not isolated incidents, highlighting that such driving styles have not been adequately addressed in the past. "Before this episode, twice he moved in braking. It is evident that we have to enforce the way to go racing," he stated.
McLaren's team principal described the incident as an outcome of unresolved issues from previous seasons. "In every kind of human dynamics, if you don't address things, as soon as you introduce competition, as soon as you introduce a sense of injustice, these things escalate. It's like anything," he elaborated.
Stella sees this as a pivotal moment for the sport and an opportunity for the FIA to tighten up the regulations and ensure they are enforced consistently and fairly. "Here there was incomplete job, let's say, that comes from the past, and is a legacy that as soon as there was a trigger, immediately there is an outburst," he commented.
He stressed the need for clear boundaries and unequivocal regulatory enforcement, believing that such measures could prevent future accidents. "So I think this one like I said before, this episode today should be taken as an opportunity to tighten up, to plump up the boundaries, and in fairness, enforcing some of the rules that are already in place," Stella suggested. "But we need to be very clear that these rules cannot be abused in a way that then leaves a margin to do a couple of times the same manoeuvre, and you know the third time there is going to be an accident," he warned.
The incident had immediate negative consequences for McLaren and Norris, resulting in lost points and a missed opportunity for victory. "For us, there's a lot of points gone. And a victory which I think Lando deserved to have the opportunity to have," Stella lamented.
Stella's desire for cleaner and fairer racing is apparent. "It could have been Max, it could have been Lando. That's racing. But racing like with collisions, we don't like it," he concluded.
Stella's comments highlight a crucial issue within Formula 1—a call for stringent rule enforcement and a fair playing field where driver safety and sportsmanship are prioritized. This incident, while unfortunate, may well serve as a catalyst for much-needed regulatory reforms.