Verstappen-Norris duel, Valsecchi critical of track engineers

The analysis of the clash

There are now just a few days left until the Silverstone event, but among Formula 1 fans the topic of discussion is understandably still the topic of discussion. duel seen in Spielberg between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. The umpteenth challenge between the two in 2024 ended with an accident that ruined the Englishman’s race in particular, as he was forced to retire. Verstappen, penalized for the incident, limited the damage and still managed to finish fifth.

The former GP2 champion David Valsecchinow a popular television commentator for several channels, tried to give a reading of the incident on his YouTube channel, playing down the alleged mutual incorrectness of the two pilots: “I’m honest, I liked the race – commented the former Italian pilot – it seemed like a race from another time. Norris has started to brake from 30 meters away and this is the only way to beat Verstappen: to go to the limit of the rules, if not beyond.“.

Engineers under accusation

In his analysis Valsecchi evaluated how overall the penalties were fairbut above all he highlighted what – in his opinion – were some shortcomings on the part of the two track engineers of the two protagonists of this spectacular season. Both Giampiero Lambiase and William Joseph, in fact, according to Valescchi, were not able to give the right advice to their pilots and above all to keep them calm in the decisive moments.

“Unlike pilots, the engineer must be calm. Norris’ engineer should have told him ‘stay calm, take two laps and then attack definitively’. Instead he incited Norris to exasperation. It created a sort of exasperation in the pilot that was seen in Norris’s latest attacks”. The same goes for Lambiase, who on the contrary exaggerated in underlining the alleged incorrectness of English: “The engineer talked to Vestappen and kept putting the idea into his head that Norris was unfair.. But Norris just ran wide in an attack and got a five-second penalty. He didn’t do anything wrong. The engineer could have managed Verstappen instead of fomenting him further and telling the FIA ​​to check Norris’ actions.”.