Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports
Topics: Lando Norris, Formula 1, Max Verstappen
Josh Lawless
Lando Norris made a bold cooldown room remark just before Max Verstappen entered following his stunning Italian Grand Prix victory.
Having started in pole position, Verstappen saw off McLaren duo Norris and Oscar Piastri in comfortable fashion to pick up a 66th career victory in Monza on Sunday.
The Dutchman stormed to a win after a thrilling start to the race which saw Verstappen push Norris wide onto the grass and then cut the corner on the first turn to maintain the lead.
Norris was furious and vented to his colleagues on the team radio, saying: “What the... what is this idiot doing? He’s put me in the grass and he just cut the corner”.
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Verstappen avoided any form of action from the stewards as he proceeded to give the place back to Norris, only to overtake him again not long after in lap four and stroll to the chequered flag.
Teammates Norris and Piastri were in the cooldown room together afterwards and watched the controversial incident back on the TV, with the former quipping, 'Not a penalty for that?'.
Verstappen arrived shortly after but no such conversation about the move took place.
Reflecting on the incident to Sky Sports, Norris said: “I tried to keep it, even on the brakes into turn one. I always know it’s going to be a good fight with Max and it was. Just not the speed today, not the pace of Max and the Red Bull. A tricky one, one of the first few weekends where we were a bit slower. I enjoyed it.”
Meanwhile, Verstappen hailed his Red Bull team for "fantastic execution" across the whole weekend and said that "I think we pitted at the right time".
Max Verstappen won his 66th race on Sunday. Image: Getty
Norris didn't have the same success though, pitting on lap 47 for new soft tyres. His team were not particularly quick to tighten up his left front tyre, which meant he came out two seconds behind Piastri.
Piastri was instructed to allow Norris to come back through and he obliged. The Australian was told he could then race his teammate but Norris held on to second place.
Told about what happened by Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, Verstappen saw the funny side and said, "Haha, just because he had a slow stop?".
McLaren now lead the driver rankings by 337 points as they close in on another championship, with Piastri ahead of Norris by 31 points and 114 clear of Verstappen.