When Max Verstappen and Lando Norris made contact in turn 3 on lap 64 in the Austrian Grand Prix on June 30th, Netflix was gifted the trailer for season 7 of Drive To Survive, while Formula 1 was left with its most controversial incident since the 2021 season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Verstappen edged Lewis Hamilton to win the world championship. And it’s exactly what F1 needs.
Verstappen has owned F1 over the last two years so much so that the fight for the world championship has become merely an afterthought in the second half of these seasons. With a Verstappen title basically clinched, fans were left with other less fascinating storylines to follow, like “Can Sergio Perez single-handedly lose Red Bull the constructors championship?” Or, “What young driver will be prematurely thrust into a role and performs so overwhelmingly mid that it ends his career?” Or, “Ferrari did what?” (Of course, the Ferrari did what question is a constant of the last decade.)
Now, F1 hopefully has the foundation for a rivalry that can continue the sport’s rise in worldwide popularity.
The sport needed someone to challenge Verstappen. Verstappen himself needed someone to challenge him. Badly. The last thing we need is for the Dutchman to become so bored with his domination that he looks for a career change (Acting maybe? Nah. Have you seen the Heineken commercials? Verstappen is even bad at playing himself in those).
Quite simply, F1 needed a rivalry, and one that was not between Alpine drivers. What they got was the rivalry.
In prize-fighting terms, what transpired in Austria was the staredown at the weigh-in; the upcoming British Grand Prix on July 7th at Silverstone now becomes the main event. Verstappen is the champion; Norris is the challenger. Verstappen has been throwing knockout punches for nearly three straight years. And while no belts will change hands (since Verstappen, with an 81-point lead in the drivers standings, has already defended his 2023 championship), and no ears will be severed, the battle could set the stage for years to come in F1.
The fact that Verstappen and Norris are friends makes it even more compelling. That friendship was tested in Austria; it will be tested further at Silverstone and in every race going forward. Call me a romantic, but if it builds this rivalry, then I’m all for seeing a friendship disintegrate in a blaze of glory.
They are also two of the…
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