Discussing Max Verstappen’s tactics after his controversial actions against Lando Norris, Naomi Schiff suggests that the Red Bull driver may prefer to be remembered for his achievements rather than his sportsmanship.
As the 2024 title race heats up, the on-track battles between Verstappen and Norris have intensified.
Sportsmanship versus fairness: which is more important to Max Verstappen?
The two drivers have had consecutive incidents in Austin and Mexico as they competed closely for position, resulting in penalties for both.
Norris received a penalty at the United States Grand Prix for gaining an advantage off the track, though the stewards noted that this was largely because Verstappen pushed them both wide at Turn 12. A week later, Verstappen faced two penalties.
The first penalty was for forcing Norris off the track at Turn 4 while he was attempting to overtake from the outside. The second penalty came for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
In that second incident, Verstappen moved up the inside of Norris and pushed both cars off the track, with Norris nearly hitting the wall at the end of the run-off area.
Verstappen faced significant criticism for what many considered a “plain dangerous” maneuver against his title rival.
Former F1 driver and Sky F1 analyst Karun Chandhok believes there are “two separate things” regarding Verstappen: his talent and his fairness.
“I think the reality is Max is one of the greatest talents we’ve ever seen, right? I don’t think any of us can doubt that in terms of pure driving talent,” said Chandhok.
“But just like Senna running Prost off the track at Suzuka in 1990, or Schumacher colliding with Damon Hill, that doesn’t sit well with us in terms of fairness.
“What happened at Turn Eight was unfair, in my opinion. What happened at Turn Four was unfair, and I thought it was wrong.
“So I think there are two separate aspects: his talent and ability as a driver versus the fairness issue, and that needs to be distinguished, but it isn’t being.”
However, former W Series racer Schiff suggests that being remembered for his sportsmanship might not be important to Verstappen.
She said, “I guess it depends on what you want to be remembered for.
“He might not be seen as the best sportsman ever or the cleanest driver, but has he won three world titles? Is he likely to win another one? Yes, he has. “So it’s up to him to decide how he wants to approach it.”
Verstappen will start Saturday’s Sprint in Brazil from fourth on the grid, while Norris will start in P2, with a maximum of eight points available.
