Red Bull chief Christian Horner has no expectations of Max Verstappen changing his aggressive tactics after the contentious collision with McLaren's Lando Norris. (More Sports News)
The pai൩r were battling for the lead at last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix before crashing seven laps from the finish line.
Reigning Formula One champion Verstappen was deemed responsible and hit with a 10-second time penalty, though recovered to finish fifth as Norris was forced out of the race in a blow to h♎is championship hopes.
That drama allowed Mercedes' George Russell t🅺o triumph but Horner does not expect Verstappen to ho꧅ld back next time, even suggesting Norris must learn to adapt.
"I understand they've spoken already, I don't thiꦛnk there is any issue," Horner told Sky Sports News ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix at S🔜ilverstone.
"Certain🦩ly, from Max's side, he's not going to change. The♛re's an element, I think, of Lando learning how to race Max and they're discovering that.
"Inevitaಞbly, there is going to be more close racing between the two of them as the cars l🔯ook so close over the forthcoming races.
"Max is a hard racer –&nbs♏p;he's probably one of the hardest racers on the circuit and everybody knows that if you're going to race against Max, he's going🐟 to give as good as he gets."
Many pinpointed the blame at the hands of Verstappen, who has pushe🍨d the limits close in recent F1 seasons.
McLaren 𒁏team principal Andrea Stella was among th▨ose to fiercely criticise the Dutchman, yet Horner believes the scrutiny is unjustified.
"He raced incredibly hard in 20𝔍21, he's a tough racer, and he hasn't reaဣlly been racing anyone for two years because he's been out front so much," Horner said.
"The conflict between the two of them has been building over two, three, four races where they've been racing each other ꦺclosely and hard, and at some point that was always going to spill over – and it did at Turn 3.
"He was punished in 2021 if he did something wrong just as Lewis [Hamilton], who he was racing so hard that year, was for🅷 things he did wrong.
&q🐟uot;I think it's wrong 🍒and unfair to label a driver like that and I'm sure in the heat of the moment it was frustrating for Andrea, but that's just tough racing.
"He worked with Michael Schumacher [at Ferrari] for sꦿo many years – he of all people should know that."
