Formula 1 Racing

Did the stewards give Verstappen the correct penalties for latest Norris incidents? · RaceFans

Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, 2024

Max Verstappen was the focus of controversy for the second race in a row in Mexico when he was penalised twice for a pair of incidents which happened on the same lap.

Predictably, his team claimed his pair of 10-second penalties was too harsh a reaction to his clashes with Lando Norris, while McLaren felt they should have gone further. But how did you see it?

Incident 1: Turn four

Norris drew along the outside of Verstappen approaching the sharp left-hander. As they turned in, Norris appeared to be on a trajectory to drive around the outside of Verstappen, but the pair drew together and Norris was forced off.

He rejoined in front of Verstappen as well as race leader Carlos Sainz Jnr. Norris immediately let Sainz past.

Incident 2: Turn seven

Almost immediately after the previous incident, Verstappen lunged down the inside of Norris at turn seven. Norris took avoiding action to prevent the pair making contact, and both drove onto the run-off area.

What they said

In the cars

“I was ahead the whole way through the corner,” said Norris after the turn four incident.

“This guy is dangerous,” he added after their second incident. “I just had to avoid a crash. It’s the same as last time. I’m going to end up in a wall in a minute.” The pair also came close to colliding in Austin a week earlier.

“It’s two different incidents,” Norris added. “He overtook me off the track and pushed me off.”

Verstappen either did not comment on the incidents on his radio at the time or his responses were censored.

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After the crash

“At the end of the day it’s also not about agreeing or disagreeing about the penalty,” Verstappen told Sky. “The only thing is 20 seconds it’s quite a lot.”

However Norris said only his actions prevented a crash between the pair: “If I didn’t do what I did today and avoid him, I’d probably be out of the race.”

The official verdict

The stewards held Verstappen responsible for both collisions and issued separate 10-second penalties for each.

In the turn four incident, they found Norris’ driving was within the rules and Verstappen forced him off. They saw the turn seven incident as a case of Verstappen attempting to pass Norris, failing to do so and running wide. Verstappen “left the track and kept the lasting advantage gaining the position, incidently [sic] forcing Norris off the track.”

The stewards initially issued no penalty points for either…

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