Verstappen & Norris 'both happy to race' after clash

Max Verstappen says he and Lando Norris "agreed pinch 99% of everything" erstwhile they discussed their Austrian Grand Prix conflict this week.

The pair, who collided while fighting for nan lead astatine nan Red Bull Ring connected Sunday, resume conflict astatine nan British Grand Prix this weekend.

Verstappen revealed he "cared astir maintaining his relationship" pinch Norris because "we are awesome friends".

During their talk this week, nan world champion said he told nan McLaren driver they could spot each different erstwhile racing closely.

Verstappen added: "We spell astatine it level retired - that's what we agreed. That's what we for illustration to do and that's what's bully for F1 arsenic well."

Briton Norris said: "It's clear really he races. It's tough, it's connected nan limit, it's what I love. I thoroughly enjoyed nan conflict I had pinch him.

"The much I've thought astir it, nan much I deliberation it's conscionable racing. It was bully racing, very adjacent to nan separator astatine times. We've spoken astir it and we are some happy to spell racing again."

Their conflict ended erstwhile they touched while Norris was trying to overtake Verstappen astir nan extracurricular and some suffered punctures, a collision for which nan Dutchman was fixed a 10-second penalty.

Verstappen recovered to decorativeness 5th while nan harm caused to Norris' McLaren forced nan 24-year-old's retirement.

Verstappen said: "The only point I cared astir was maintaining my narration pinch Lando because we are awesome friends and thats' why I said aft nan title we had to fto things cool down because emotions tally high.

"We said connected Monday and we came to nan conclusion that we really really enjoyed our battle.

"We for illustration to title hard. We person done this for galore years not only successful F1, for illustration online racing wherever we had a batch of nosy together, and these things person to transportation connected because that's what we for illustration to do and it's awesome for F1."

Verstappen added he had reassured Norris astir his intentions erstwhile they are racing.

"I ever said to Lando, 'When you spell for moves up nan wrong aliases outside, you tin spot maine that I americium not location to effort and clang you retired of nan way'. Same nan different measurement astir because we said astir that arsenic well."

Norris had accused Verstappen of changing his statement successful nan braking zone, which is forbidden successful F1, and nan Dutchman acknowledged indirectly that had been nan case.

"Naturally, location is ever a quality guidance erstwhile personification dives down nan wrong aliases extracurricular that you person a spot of a guidance to it," said Verstappen. "But I felt everything I did was thing massively complete nan top.

"Of course, for illustration really you creation a car, you effort to spell to nan separator of nan rules, possibly you find immoderate grey areas present and there, and that's nan aforesaid really you title because different you will ne'er beryllium a apical driver aliases win successful life anyway."

Norris, who trails Verstappen successful nan drivers' title by 81 points, added: "Max isn't going to want to clang and ruin his ain chances. I don't deliberation he's going to alteration excessively much, and I don't deliberation I request to alteration much.

"There are things from some sides we astir apt wanted to do better. But avoiding an incident from moving nether braking is astir apt nan biggest thing.

"The stewards request to beryllium alert that thing tin easy spell wrong. You're defending and that's fine, but astatine immoderate constituent that has a limit and it needs to beryllium imposed."

Asked if they could stay friends if their battles continued for a agelong time, Verstappen said: "I deliberation so. It besides depends connected your personalities. Lando is simply a awesome guy, a really bully person, who loves F1 and racing and is very passionate astir it.

"You besides person to realise that he is fighting for his 2nd win, I americium fighting for my 62nd, truthful your emotions are a small spot different. I cognize that from myself, erstwhile I was fighting for my first wins, that’s what I besides said, 'Let's fto it cool off'."

Another rumor to originate from Austria was that Norris earned a five-second punishment for going disconnected way while trying to walk Verstappen, contempt instantly giving nan spot back, because it was conflated pinch a informing he had antecedently been fixed for exceeding way limits.

Norris himself and Williams driver Alex Albon some said that determination was "silly".

Verstappen admitted it was "a spot of an overseas one".

He said Red Bull person an upgrade connected their car this weekend, but that he expected nan conflict to beryllium adjacent connected way pinch McLaren.

Norris' team-mate Oscar Piastri said he expected Verstappen to beryllium "really reliable to beat" because of his car's strengths successful nan benignant of high-speed corners that abound astatine Silverstone.