Penalties for Verstappen in Mexico Spark Debate on Racing Conduct

Lando Norris, the McLaren driver, holds Max Verstappen in high regard personally and respects his rival’s on-track capabilities. Consequently, Norris initially sought to refrain from excessive criticism of the Dutchman following the Mexico City Grand Prix. Ultimately, however, he felt compelled to speak out. Norris characterized Verstappen’s driving, which resulted in two 10-second penalties for the three-time world champion due to two distinct incidents occurring within four corners early in the race, as “not fair, clean racing.” He added, “And therefore I think he got what he had coming to him.” Norris further elaborated on his perspective, stating, “I felt like I just had to avoid collisions, and that’s not what you feel like you want to do in a race. He’s in a very powerful position in the championship. He’s a long way ahead. He has nothing to lose.” He concluded, “It’s not my job to control him. He knows how to drive. And I’m sure he knows that today was probably a bit over the limit.” Verstappen, conversely, expressed no desire to engage in a public discussion regarding the matter. He commented, “Twenty seconds is a lot. But I am not going to cry about it and I am also not going to share my opinion. The biggest problem I had is that it was a bad day in terms of race pace.” Despite the penalties and an underperforming car, Verstappen secured a sixth-place finish. Norris achieved second place, trailing a dominant Carlos Sainz in his Ferrari. It was suggested that Sainz’s dominance might have been less pronounced had Norris not been held up behind Verstappen for a significant portion of the first stint. This outcome reduced Verstappen’s championship lead to 47 points, with 120 points still available across the final four races. Norris would need to gain nearly 12 points per race to become the world champion. Norris remarked, “It doesn’t feel like I’m much closer than what I was. But every point helps.” This marked the second consecutive race where Verstappen and Norris were involved in an on-track clash, with the outcome differing significantly despite a very similar, though not identical, maneuver. During the United States Grand Prix the previous weekend, Norris incurred a penalty for an off-track overtake after attempting to pass Verstappen on the outside, which led to both drivers entering the run-off area. Norris, along with the majority of his fellow drivers, deemed Verstappen’s driving unacceptable. Verstappen had reportedly released the brakes to ensure he reached the corner’s apex first, even though this meant he was traveling too quickly to successfully navigate the turn. This situation invoked a specific clause in the racing guidelines, which stipulates that if the car on the outside is not ahead at the apex, the driver on the inside is not obligated to provide space on the exit. However, drivers recognized Verstappen’s actions, prompting discussions with the governing body, the FIA, in Mexico. The result was the FIA’s agreement to revise the guidelines and present new wording for approval in Qatar in two races’ time, incorporating drivers’ perspectives on this type of “dive-bomb defence.” Following the clash between Verstappen and Norris on lap 10 in Mexico, it appeared that the stewards were acting on these recent discussions. While this might have been partially true, the two incidents differed in that Norris’s car was slightly ahead at the apex in this instance. Consequently, when Verstappen again forced Norris off the track, the guidelines indicated that Norris should have been given room. Verstappen’s failure to provide this space led to his penalty. Four corners later, a second incident occurred with even greater clarity. Verstappen, now positioned behind, lunged to the inside, resulting in both cars going off track and another penalty being issued. Verstappen himself largely acknowledged his culpability for this particular incident. He stated, “It just felt that the Turn Four was a bit more a question mark. Turn Seven is what it is.” Norris provided his explanation of the two incidents after the Mexico race. Regarding Austin, he commented, “Austin, I don’t think anyone should have got a penalty. Yeah, let’s say we both kind of did things wrong. I feel like I was made to do something wrong.” He added, “The majority of people, the majority of drivers feel like that was the same thing. That’s why you’ve heard of some of the rule changes that might be coming and those types of things. It’s because there’s