If you want to understand how brilliant – genius, even – a Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen is, watch exactly how he attacked Lando Norris at the start of the 2024 United States Grand Prix. And then ‘defended’ against him at the contest’s controversial conclusion.
This latest saga has frustratingly eclipsed the brilliant victory scored by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at Austin on Sunday. And the problem boils down to why both the Turn 1 and Turn 12 Verstappen vs Norris battles were essentially the same cynical tactic from the world champion.
Here rises the spectre of that 2021 campaign of campaigns – when Verstappen and his Red Bull squad fought Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes so bitterly. Given the tit-for-tat squabbling over ‘mini-DRS’ and bib-gate at McLaren and Red Bull respectively in the last two races, plus this being another season with multiple controversial racing clashes with the title protagonists, 2024 is firmly becoming a repeat.
Specifically here, however, it’s the 2021 Brazilian race that really matters. And how heading into Interlagos’ Turn 4 with Hamilton and his fresh engine grunt bearing down in arguably the Briton’s greatest ever F1 win, Verstappen steamed on with the inside line he’d taken in defence. Both flew into the runoff and the Red Bull remained ahead.
As with Interlagos, Verstappen’s onboard video feed at Austin was critically also broadcasting backwards – something to bear in mind when remembering how rapidly the stewards made this call. That’s something FIA sources insisted to Motorsport.com post-race is in line with what the teams have pushed for regarding stewarding decisions that impact podium appearances. Entertainment apparently trumps justice…
There are differences here to Brazil 2021 – but they matter. For Norris at Austin three years later, it’s how he did overtake off-track, but McLaren didn’t order him to give the place back and attack again.
Austin battle with Norris was reminiscent of Verstappen’s defence against Hamilton in the 2021 Brazilian GP that the Mercedes driver went on to win
Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images
When Motorsport.com asked him why not on Sunday night, team principal Andrea Stella explained that “on the pitwall and under my responsibility – but there was complete agreement by all the people involved in this interpretation – this situation did not need to be investigated”.
“If anything, we thought…
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