Max Verstappen has responded to the controversy surrounding Lando Norris‘s penalty at the 2024 United States Grand Prix. Verstappen secured third place, holding off Norris, who ended up with a five-second penalty that pushed him from third to fourth.
This result has managed to intensify the ongoing championship battle between the two drivers, with Verstappen making it clear that he intends to maintain his lead.
Reflecting on the race, Verstappen was surprised by his ability to keep Norris behind him given the challenges he faced behind the wheel of the RB20.
“Had to fight hard for it of course,” Verstappen told Viaplay during their broadcast. “To be honest, I didn’t expect to be able to keep Lando behind me either or have a chance to do anything. It didn’t really go well in the race. I couldn’t get the tyres under control. There was no balance, I couldn’t brake, the car wasn’t spinning.”
The United States Grand Prix, held at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, boasted a chaotic start. The Papaya driver began from pole position alongside Verstappen, with both drivers running wide at the first corner. This incident allowed Charles Leclerc to seize the lead, setting the stage for Ferrari’s dominant one-two finish, with Carlos Sainz taking second place.
“Yes, I had already planned that one,” Verstappen revealed when asked about his move to attack Norris on the first corner of the race.
Norris’s penalty, which ultimately decided his final position, was attributed to an off-track overtake during his intense battle with Verstappen. Verstappen discussed this in his conversation with the broadcaster.
“We managed to hold him up for a very long time and then he passed, but off the track. That gave him those five seconds, which obviously worked out well. We both went inside the track, but you can’t overtake someone outside the track.”
The Dutchman’s hold on third place has extended his championship lead over Norris to 57 points, with only five races remaining in the season. This development bears heavily on the unfolding narrative of the championship battle, with Verstappen determined to maintain his advantage.
“We obviously want to win this championship. At the moment, it was a more positive weekend, but in the race, we still came up short. So we still have some work to do,” he admitted. “I’m obviously not going to make it easy for [Norris] towards the end of the season. The only problem for me was that I had no front end. Then it was very difficult to brake late because the car was not spinning. Then it’s very easy to block. But in the end, it went pretty well.”
Reflecting on the performance issues that beset the Red Bull RB20, Verstappen noted the necessity of addressing these challenges.
“Yes, we have to see where that went wrong today compared to the past two days. I can’t put my finger on that right now,” he said.
Norris, talking on the Sky Sports F1 broadcast, was quick to question why his team didn’t tell him to return the place to his rival so he could have another go at overtaking him without a 5-second penalty to his name.
“It’s impossible to know. They obviously can’t make their minds up for a few laps, so it’s obviously not an easy decision, otherwise it would have come a bit sooner.
“I tried. He’s also went off the track. So, if he goes off the track, clearly he’s gone in way too hard and also gained an advantage by doing what he did. But I don’t make the rules, so…”
This rivalry will continue in Mexico on 27 October.
