Verstappen shrugs off McLaren's complaints: "The rules are clear"

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Max Verstappen responds to McLaren's complaints: "Track limits are non-negotiable".

AUSTIN -- Max Verstappen has dismissed McLaren's recent complaints about the penalty issued to Lando Norris at the end of the U.S. Grand Prix, emphasizing that the rules are clear on track limits.

Norris received a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits while overtaking Verstappen at Turn 12. This penalty dropped him behind the Red Bull driver in the final race standings. Verstappen also left the track during the maneuver but insisted that the rules were applied consistently.

McLaren criticized the decision, labeling it "inappropriate," and Norris accused the stewards of lacking consistency. However, Verstappen was unsympathetic to their grievances.

"No, I don't," Verstappen said when asked if he understood McLaren's position. "They complain about a lot lately anyway, but it's very clear in the rules. Outside the white line, you cannot pass. I've been penalized for it as well in the past."

Verstappen referred to past controversies, including McLaren's recent allegations that Red Bull had illegally adjusted the ride height of its car during a prohibited window.

Regarding the incident with Norris, Verstappen cited a similar penalty he received at the same circuit against Kimi Raikkonen in 2017. "I think it's quite clear: you can't overtake outside of the white line. I got done for it here in 2017. I lost my podium like that."

Despite the controversy, Verstappen remained focused on the race. "I just remained calm, tried to do the best I could after that to bring the car to the end because it was not easy with the tyres and the situation that I was in. But overall, I really enjoyed that battle we had."

Norris' penalty allowed Verstappen to increase his championship lead to 57 points with five races and two sprints remaining.

"That is definitely the positive," Verstappen commented, reflecting on his victory in the sprint race on Saturday. "I did hope for a little bit more performance today, so we'll need to analyze why we weren’t as strong. I think everyone improved or stayed the same as yesterday, but we were definitely worse. I need to understand why."

With crucial rounds still to come, Verstappen's focus remains on maintaining his lead and securing the championship.

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