Max Verstappen accepts he ‘broke a rule’ at Mexican GP to score points
Mexican GP became the stage of the clash between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, where Verstappen employed some questionable tactics.
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Max Verstappen speaking (via Total Motorsport)
The fight for the 2024 drivers’ title was tough with Max Verstappen retaining his grasp on the crown. However, mid-way through the season, the danger of him losing out on the championship was quite imminent. This led Verstappen to take on strategic risks as he explained by giving the example of his iffy decisions during the Mexican GP.
In the initial phase of the Mexican GP, Max Verstappen was able to get into the lead and was formulating plans to control the race. On the other hand, Ferrari was the pace-setter throughout the weekend and Carlos Sainz was a man on a mission and soon got past the Dutchman. This left him vulnerable to Lando Norris, who did not waste any time and got down to attacking Verstappen.
Knowing the importance of a solitary point in the final standings, the 27-year-old employed various tactics. When Norris retained the position after going off the track, he lunged down the inside of him in the following section and ran the pair of them almost into the wall. This earned him 20 seconds’ worth of penalties.
However, it helped strangle Norris’ race as he was unable to mount a challenge on Sainz in the dying stages of the Grand Prix and lost out on major points. All while, Verstappen was able to climb back up to P6 and the Dutchman elaborated on how he broke a rule to gain an advantage in the grand scheme of things.
In Mexico I gained points by breaking a rule, not everyone has the mentality to do it. Sometimes to get the most out of every situation if there is a world title at stake you have to be willing to cross a limit or break a rule and that’s what I did and that I will always do. Not everyone has this mentality and not everyone understands it.
Max Verstappen said (via Funoanalisitecnica)
On the other hand, the requirement for such measures slowly faded as the McLaren driver’s challenge slowly vanished. Moreover, Verstappen claimed his fourth driver’s title with two rounds to spare and had a massive celebration.
Lando Norris reflects on his incidents with Max Verstappen in Mexico
While F1 fanbase held the Red Bull driver accountable for his incidents in Mexico, Norris agreed. Though he has now moved on from the incident, he reflected on the massive clash he had with the Dutchman.
The 25-year-old stated that Verstappen’s perception of being a perfect driver was ruined by his incidents at the Mexican GP. However, he retracted his statement on the Dutchman’s win in Brazil during the FIA prize-giving ceremony, so he does not hold any grudges.
I think Mexico was a bit of a turning point when it was proved that not everything he does is perfect.
Lando Norris said (via PlanetF1)
On the other hand, Norris would be in a prime position to win his maiden title next year. McLaren has made steady progress over the past few years and won the constructors’ championship this time around.
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Geetansh Pasricha
(772 Articles Published)