In a lighthearted moment of podium celebration, Lando Norris, the talented driver from McLaren, playfully suggested that Max Verstappen was at fault for the accidental breakage of the $45,000 winner’s trophy during the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix.
As the drivers commenced their traditional champagne spraying on the podium, Norris, known for his exuberance, decided to add his signature flair to the festivities.
He used the top step of the podium as his base and, with a swift motion, attempted to get the bubbly flowing by tapping the bottom of his bottle on the ground.
However, in an unexpected turn of events, his bottle’s impact caused Verstappen’s nearby winner’s trophy to topple and shatter into pieces.
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
Initially shocked by the mishap, Norris quickly regained his composure and continued his celebration before informing Verstappen about the unfortunate incident.
McLaren later issued an apology to Red Bull, accompanied by a video detailing how the trophy was broken.
In the post-race press conference, Norris jokingly blamed Verstappen for the mishap, stating, “Max just placed it too close to the edge. It fell over, I guess. Not my problem. It’s his!”
According to Hungarian F1 journalist Sandor Meszaros, the trophies awarded to the top three finishers were not ordinary awards.
Handcrafted by Herendi Porcelanmanufaktura Zrt, the production of each trophy takes around six months, and they come with an approximate cost of €40,000.
Despite the trophy incident, Norris and McLaren had reasons to celebrate as they secured their second consecutive podium finish, with Norris claiming second place behind Verstappen.
Norris expressed contentment with the team’s performance, acknowledging that Mercedes appeared to have an edge in terms of tire degradation and overall pace.
“I think between us and Mercedes, we’re pretty tied,” Norris said when asked about McLaren’s competitiveness.
“Mercedes have always been very, very strong with tire degradation.
“If you look at qualifying, the Mercedes was quite a bit quicker with Lewis, so I’m going to be the guy that says, no.
READ: Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton’s fight was ‘like child’s play’
“I believe that Mercedes are very close, but it’s tight.”
Following the trophy mishap, the Herendi company, responsible for crafting the cup, pledged to replace it promptly.
Attila Simon, the CEO of Herendi, assured that they would take on the responsibility of making a new trophy. Production has already commenced, with efforts to expedite the six-month process to ensure Verstappen receives his replacement trophy in the coming weeks.