Verstappen-Norris clash in Mexico GP: two penalties for Verstappen in their fierce battle

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Max Verstappen faced a significant setback at the Mexico City Grand Prix with two 10-second time penalties, effectively knocking him out of contention for the win. This turn of events allowed title rival Lando Norris to narrow the championship gap to 47 points, with four Grand Prix weekends remaining in the season.

The drama unfolded after Carlos Sainz re-passed Verstappen for the lead. Lando Norris began to pressure the Red Bull driver as they approached Turn 4. Norris attempted an attack from the outside, but Verstappen defensively braked late, forcing Norris to cut the corner and rejoin the race ahead of Verstappen in second place.

Not long after, Verstappen attempted to overtake Norris on the inside of Turn 8 but failed to adhere to the track, cutting across instead. This move forced Norris off the track as well. Consequently, when both rejoined, Verstappen was in third, with Norris in fourth and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc moving up to second.

Norris was audibly furious over the team radio, branding Verstappen's actions as “dangerous.”

The stewards’ decision

Upon reviewing data from the marshalling system, various external video angles, radio and in-car video evidence, the stewards found Verstappen at fault for both incidents. They imposed two separate 10-second penalties on Verstappen, along with adding two penalty points to his license for the first infringement, taking his total to six within a 12-month period.

This is not the first time recent clashes between Norris and Verstappen have caught the stewards' attention. In the previous race at Austin, Norris was deemed at fault and received a five-second penalty.

Analyzing the penalties

For the Turn 4 incident, the stewards noted that Norris was ahead of Verstappen “at the entry, apex and towards the exit of the turn when he started being forced off the track.” They believed that Norris's move was executed in a “safe and controlled manner” and that he would have completed the pass if not forced off by Verstappen. This infringement breaches Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 b) of the International Sporting Code, warranting the standard penalty of 10 seconds.

In the Turn 8 scenario, the stewards reviewed various video angles, including CCTV and in-car footage, concluding that while Verstappen was ahead at the apex of Turn 8 and entitled to “racing room,” he could not complete the pass on track as he ran wide, incidentally forcing Norris off track. Verstappen then maintained the position, constituting a "lasting advantage." This act breaches Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 c) of the International Sporting Code. Consequently, the stewards applied the standard 10-second penalty for this offense.

The penalties for Verstappen have significantly impacted the championship dynamics, adding an extra layer of excitement to the remaining races of the season.

McLaren vs. Red Bull: the aftermath of turn four incidents

McLaren’s perspective

McLaren's CEO Zak Brown did not hold back when addressing the penalties imposed during the race. He labeled the penalties as "probably not enough" in a conversation with Sky Sports F1. Brown stated, "I mean it's getting a bit ridiculous. I applaud the FIA stewards. Enough is enough. Let’s just have some good clean racing moving forward. Lando drove brilliantly."

Echoing Brown’s sentiments, Team Principal Andrea Stella provided a detailed breakdown of his team's views. "In my opinion—and this is a comment that I make straight after the race, so there may be some more details in terms of looking at the incidents and interpretation of the incidents—but in my view, the penalties seemed to be consistent with the application of the guidelines in relation to these kinds of incidents," Stella said.

Stella further emphasized the importance of reinforcing authority within the sport. "I think from this point of view, this has been a positive day because it shows that authority exists. It shows that the stewards have done a good job, a good job that surely comes because of constant review, like we do in Formula 1 in any kind of thing you do—you then review and you try to improve, and certainly we as a team, there's many things that we know we can review and improve.

"And to me it looks like this process has happened also in terms of stewarding, in terms of the FIA having taken some feedback constructively onboard, and we appreciate this, not as a team but as a part of the F1 community. I feel like I have to thank the FIA and the stewards."

Red Bull’s response

Red Bull boss Christian Horner offered a contrasting opinion on the incidents, backing his perspective with detailed GPS data. At his post-race media session, Horner explained, "It was very harsh to give two 10-second penalties. There's something more fundamental. I mean obviously there's been a reaction to last weekend."

Horner elaborated using the GPS data, "If I show you here on the GPS—this is on the run down to Turn 4. This is actually Lando versus Lando, and what you can see is that the orange line is Lando's fastest lap of the grand prix, so the point he is braking for Turn 4 and then obviously executing the corner. What you can see, is that on lap whatever it was that's been the incident with Max, he is 15km/h faster, and later on the brakes than his fastest lap of the grand prix.

"He wouldn't have made the corner. He would have run off track. You can see from his onboard steering. And of course at this point of the race he's got probably 80kg more fuel than at the point that he's done his fastest lap."

Horner warned against the potential misinterpretation of overtaking regulations, "It used to be a reward of the bravest to go around the outside, I think we're in danger of flipping the overtaking laws upside down, where drivers will just try to get their nose ahead at the apex and then claim that they have to be given room on the exit.

"And you can see quite clearly he's effectively come off the brakes, gone in super, super late to try and win that argument as far as the way these regulations are written, and then at that point you're penalised."

Summarizing his stance, Horner stated, "Now every karting circuit, every indoor karting circuit around the world, if you've got the inside line you control the corner. It's one of the principles and the physics of racing. So, they just need to get back to basics that if you're on the outside you don't have priority. Otherwise we will end up with a mess over these last five races."

The debate between McLaren and Red Bull showcases the complexities and varied interpretations of racing regulations, setting the stage for more discussions and potential rule clarifications as the season progresses.

Horner acknowledged the penalty handed down for the Turn 8 clash. "The Turn 8 incident is different," he said, understanding why Max Verstappen was penalized for forcing Norris wide. However, he contended that the situation stemmed from Lando not yielding earlier, leading to escalating tensions.

While Red Bull and Verstappen have the right to appeal, Horner indicated they would not pursue this, focusing instead on clarifying racing regulations for the future. "We won’t activate a right of review on this," Horner said, emphasizing the need for clearer guidelines for the drivers.

Championship implications

Lando Norris reduced the gap to Verstappen by 10 points, leaving a 47-point difference with four race weekends remaining. However, Norris needs to outperform Verstappen by an average of 12 points per weekend to clinch the championship. McLaren leads in the constructors' standings, but Ferrari has closed in, trailing by just 29 points, with Red Bull in third, 25 points further back.

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