Norris Suggests Verstappen ‘Knows He Did Wrong Deep Down’

With four races left in the season, Lando Norris trails championship leader Max Verstappen by 47 points. McLaren driver Lando Norris stated that his title competitor, Max Verstappen, “knows he did wrong” regarding their on-track encounter during the recent Mexico City Grand Prix. The Red Bull team’s driver incurred two 10-second penalties for his conduct during a contest with his McLaren counterpart. Norris commented: “Max knows what he has to do. He knows he did wrong, deep down he does. And it’s for him to change, not me.” He further added: “Max is one of the most capable drivers on the grid, if not the most. He knows what he can and can’t do and what the limits are.” Verstappen, who will compete in this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix holding a 47-point lead over Norris with four races remaining, expressed that he considers critiques of his defensive driving to be “annoying” and disregards them. Earlier this week, Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, characterized Verstappen’s actions as “Dick Dastardly stuff”. In response, the Dutch driver stated: “I don’t listen to those individuals. I just do my thing. I am a three-time world champion. I think I know what I’m doing.” He further commented: “Some people are just being very annoying. I know who these people are and I don’t really pay a lot of attention to them. I have got this far in my career. Some people are just a bit biased.” Norris remarked: “I expect a cleaner battle than what we had but it’s not up to me.” Verstappen’s approach to racing has drawn scrutiny after two separate incidents occurred in the previous two races. During the first incident, at the United States Grand Prix, Norris received a five-second penalty for an overtake that took place off the circuit. This event prompted F1 drivers to discuss the matter five days later in Mexico, where numerous participants conveyed to the governing body, the FIA, their belief that Norris should not have been penalized. The rationale for this sentiment was that Verstappen’s driving played a role in the incident; the Dutch driver, while defending his inside line, also left the track. Subsequently, during the Mexico race, Norris once more left the track while attempting to overtake Verstappen on the outside at Turn Four. Despite Verstappen remaining on the track, he was deemed to have forced Norris off the circuit and received his initial penalty. Four corners subsequent to this, Verstappen again compelled Norris off the track, reclaimed the position, and was penalized for securing an advantage by leaving the circuit. When questioned about whether he would alter his approach going forward, he responded: “It’s my 10th year in F1. I think I know what I’m doing.” He further stated: “I have my opinions, I don’t need to share them.” Regarding his satisfaction with the racing guidelines, Verstappen commented: “It’s not that straightforward clearly even between how many seconds you get. Sometimes they work for you, sometimes they work against you.” He continued: “It is never going to be perfect because even if you remove rules, if you get into a battle you want more rules because it’s not clear what is allowed or not, then when you have too many rules you want less rules.” He concluded this point by saying: “Do I think it’s over-regulated? Probably yes. In general the rule book is only getting bigger and bigger every year and I don’t think that’s always the right way.” Verstappen stated that he accepts counsel exclusively from “people who are objective and close to me.” He also issued an implicit critique of the FIA, noting that while he faced penalties for using expletives during a news conference at the Singapore Grand Prix, no measures were taken when Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc did likewise in Mexico. He remarked: “People who are not just there to stir… I can’t say the word and apparently it only counts for me. After the race someone was swearing and I didn’t hear anything [about it].” Reports indicate that Verstappen is expected to incur a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race due to the installation of a new engine, having already surpassed his permitted allocation. However, he could not confirm this, stating: “I haven’t heard anything yet. I know I will have to take one at some point, so we’ll see.” Red Bull has not yet provided a response to inquiries for comment regarding this situation.