LEWIS HAMILTON GIVES FRANK FIVE-WORD VERDICT ON LANDO NORRIS AND MAX VERSTAPPEN CRASH

Lewis Hamilton insisted that the on-track fights between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen were 'nothing to do with him' when asked for his thoughts on the pair's crash in Austria.

Norris and Verstappen made slight contact on lap 64 of the Austrian Grand Prix with disastrous consequences, sending the former out of the race and giving the latter a 10-second time penalty with a puncture to boot.

The incident was a controversial one. Norris was frustrated with his rival, claiming that he could have left more room, while Verstappen refused to accept sole responsibility.

Ahead of his home race at Silverstone, Hamilton was asked for his thoughts on the clash. "Nothing really," he explained. "I have nothing more to add. I was more concerned about my race and enjoying the team's win."

The Brit was then asked if he had any advice for Norris in battling with Verstappen. "Again, I don't think I need to," he noted. "They've raced each other for many years." He then described the matter as "nothing to do with me."

Looking at his own involvement in the clash, Norris had cooled down about the situation. In Austria, he suggested that his friendship with the Red Bull man was over without an apology, but he reeled back on this claim at Silverstone.

"I don't expect an apology from him, I don't think he should apologize," he said. "We've spoken about it, we've talked about it, and we're very happy to go racing again."

Verstappen's damage limitation at the Red Bull Ring means that the pair are split by 81 points in the standings heading into Norris' home race, meaning that without a handful of DNFs or some Red Bull reliability issues, his title chances look bruised and beaten.

Meanwhile, for Hamilton, there is reason to be optimistic. His team-mate, George Russell, was the man who picked up the pieces to win in Austria, meaning a Mercedes car has been on the podium in three consecutive races after scoring none in the first eight rounds.

2024-07-04T13:10:11Z dg43tfdfdgfd