Steiner says Norris should not imitate Verstappen’s bravado

Former Haas team principal Günther Steiner says Lando Norris should not try to imitate Max Verstappen’s brash persona. On the Red Flags podcast, Steiner said the approach does not suit Norris: a bold manner has to be sustained, he argued, while feigned bravado usually ends badly.

Steiner pointed to Norris’s comments after an incident with Franco Colapinto in Azerbaijan. Norris initially said drivers should receive a one-race suspension for reckless actions, then walked back the remark amid the ensuing controversy.

Later, during the Singapore sprint, Norris was involved in an incident with teammate Oscar Piastri. He said he had gone for a gap and believed there was room to pass, but after a conversation with the team he backed away from that position too.

Steiner described the Singapore episode as a moment when Norris had to retreat. He said Norris may have thought he could sustain the bravado, but did not need to perform that role because he is good at driving a race car.

Steiner sees Verstappen as the most convincing at projecting bravado, adding that the Dutchman’s facial expression conveys it on its own.