Red Bull should do more to encourage Max Verstappen to obey the racing rules, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has said.
Verstappen collided with Lando Norris while the pair were fighting for the lead of the Austrian Grand Prix last week. The stewards held Verstappen responsible, issuing him a 10-second time penalty.
However during the race Norris repeatedly accused Verstappen of breaking the racing rules by moving under braking and going off the track in order to keep the lead when the McLaren driver tried to pass him.
Brown said he enjoyed their fight over the lead but felt the stewards should have stepped in before contact was made. He argued F1 should have a permanent group of stewards at every race which he believes would make decision-making more consistent.
“It was quite an epic battle,” he said. “Exciting for the fans, exciting for everyone in Formula 1. I think it was a matter of time until we saw the two of them going head-to-head. Obviously an unfortunate outcome [from] what was a very small touch.
“But I think as we reflect on the weekend – I think this is something that the FIA agrees – we need to invest more in our stewarding to have greater consistency in enforcement of the regulations.
“I think having part-time stewards, it’s a very difficult job. It’s quite complex and to do it on a part time basis for the level of Formula 1 I think is difficult because Max and Lando were just duking it out as you’d expect them to do and until someone tells Max ‘that’s against the regulations’ he’s not going to know any different. “So I think, there were missed opportunities for the stewards to make note.”
However he also believes Red Bull should have done more to ensure Verstappen obeyed the racing rules and accused them of encouraging him to keep making illegal moves.
“I’m also disappointed in such a great team like Red Bull, that the leadership almost encourages it,” he said. “Because you listen on the radio what was said, we all have a responsibility on pit wall to tell our drivers the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of what’s going on in the race.”
Brown compared the situation to past occasions when Red Bull have been found to have broken the rules, such as when they exceeded the 2021 budget cap by £1.8 million.
“I think when you can have respect for regulations, and we’ve seen there be lack of respect whether it’s financial regulations or sporting or on-track, issues with fathers and things of that nature, I just don’t think that’s how we need to go racing.
“We need to guide our drivers on what’s right or wrong and I think had it been addressed earlier, maybe that incident wouldn’t have taken place.”
Brown said he does not intend to raise his concerns with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. “I don’t have any interest in speaking with Christian,” he said.
However he said Verstappen is not the only driver who has pushed the rules too far, and stressed F1 needs to reform how it enforces its rules to combat it.
“You see battles all throughout the field,” he said. “I think we just need regulations in black and white and enforced accordingly.
“So I don’t think it would be fair to say it’s Max’s driving. I think all these drivers drive at the absolute limit, as they should. But they do have a set of regulations.
“It’s not about cleaning up the drivers’ [behaviour], it’s about enforcing and having much clearer regulations on a consistent basis, whatever those may be. But I think, these are the 20 best drivers in the world, so they can deal with about anything.”
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