Lando Norris declares Max Verstappen ‘had it coming’ after two penalties at Mexican GP
Max Verstappen's aggressive tactics in the Mexican GP led to penalties, prompting Lando Norris to criticize the lack of fair racing.
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Lando Norris and Max Verstappen (via IMAGO)
After their dramatic clash at the US Grand Prix, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris battled again in Mexico. In Austin, Norris received a five-second penalty for overtaking Verstappen off the track, despite arguing that the Dutchman was also off the track.
In Mexico, the stewards penalized Verstappen for similar incidents, giving him a total of 20 seconds in penalties. On lap 10 of the Mexican GP, the 27-year-old, starting from second position, faced pressure from Norris.
In his attempt to defend, Max Verstappen employed some risky tactics, which Lando Norris later described as “dangerous”. First, he pushed the Brit off the track at Turn 4 while trying to maintain his position. Then, just a few corners later, he deliberately ran wide to stay ahead of the McLaren.
This aggressive driving led to a total of 20 seconds in penalties, causing Verstappen to lose positions to both Norris and Charles Leclerc. Norris stated that while he loves battling with the three-time-world champion, he was unhappy withhow Verstappen unfairly used aggressive tactics that crossed the line.
I think today it was just not fair, clean racing. Therefore, I think he got what he had coming to him. It’s always going to be on the line, it’s always going to be tough with Max. He’s never going to make anyone’s life easy, especially mine, at this point of the year.
Lando Norris said (via NYTimes.com)
The race ended in Norris’s favor, with him finishing second while Verstappen came in sixth, narrowing his drivers’ championship lead to 47 points. However, the Briton recognized that the upcoming races and sprints would be tough, as Verstappen wouldn’t let the title slip away easily.
Max Verstappen refuses to share his opinion on ‘20 second penalty’
Max Verstappen felt that the 20-second penalty for pushing and running wide was excessive, joking on the team radio that it was “quite impressive.” He noted the inconsistency, pointing out that Lando Norris received only a five-second penalty for going off-track in Austin.
Despite this, Verstappen admitted after the race that his team lacked pace in Mexico. He chose not to dwell on the penalties or share his thoughts about them, opting instead to focus on the race and move forward.
Honestly, 20 seconds is a lot, but I’m not going to cry about it, and I’m not going to share my opinion.
Max Verstappen expressed
The race in Mexico was a significant setback for Red Bull, as they fell from second to third in the constructors’ standings. Ferrari benefited from having two strong drivers to score points by finishing on the podium.
Although Red Bull currently sits in third position, Verstappen still leads the drivers’ standings. With four races in the season, he has a chance to defend his lead. The upcoming Brazilian race includes a sprint race, providing the Dutchman another chance to solidify his position at the top.
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Gaurang Kadam
(535 Articles Published)