The jargon of the race stewards reflected only a tiny bit of the drama that made the duel between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris at the US Grand Prix the showdown that the Formula 1 world was hoping for. In the last twenty minutes of the 19th World Championship round, the television director did not dare to show anything other than the camera angle of the wild chase between the defending champion’s Red Bull racing car and his pursuer’s McLaren. Charles Leclerc and his next Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. only came back into the picture shortly before they crossed the finish line as winner and second place.
With four laps to go, the thrilling duel between Norris and world champion Verstappen had escalated. And according to the FIA quick judge, the following happened in turn twelve: “Car four (Norris) overtook car one (Verstappen) on the outside, but was not level with car one at the apex of the curve. Therefore, car four had lost the “right” to the curve. Because car four left the roadway and returned before car one, this is considered to have left the roadway and gained a permanent advantage.”
Formula 1 in Austin
:Material for discussion with Ferrari’s double success
Charles Leclerc wins the US Grand Prix ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz. Lando Norris crosses the finish line in third place – however, due to a penalty against him, defending champion Max Verstappen is on the podium.
The verdict: a five-second time penalty for Norris instead of the usual ten seconds. Mitigating circumstances, then, since Verstappen also landed far outside the runway during the decisive maneuver. In the corrected final result, Norris was 0.9 seconds short of retaining third place.
It now goes to the Dutchman, who, after a four-week break from racing, was able to extend his lead in the World Championship classification in the sprint race on Saturday when he triumphed over the 100 kilometers and Norris only came third. This gain of two points over his British opponent was followed by a further three point gap on Sunday. Overall, Verstappen is now in the lead with 57 points before the last five World Championship races, with a maximum of 146 points still up for grabs.
The climate between the rival teams is rapidly deteriorating
The Red Bull car is not yet back where it was, but the number one has gained new courage. Only tire problems prevented Verstappen from attacking as usual in the race at the Circuit of the Americas. So he delivered one of the greatest defensive performances in recent racing history. His pursuer Norris, with fresher tires and the faster car, got closer and closer to the rear of the car in front in the last ten laps, but never passed him – also because he is the one who cannot afford a crash. When the courage of desperation finally took hold of him, the controversial maneuver took place. Verstappen immediately whispered over the radio and later didn’t change his opinion one bit: “Overtaking outside the track is simply not possible.”
Lando Norris had already wasted what was for him a better outcome in Texas at the start when he fell back to fourth place from pole position. In this hairpin bend, he and Verstappen had already pushed over the curbs and given the Ferraris a chance to win. “I drove like a doll,” the Brit admitted afterwards. Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko, who had already made a fuss about Norris’s psyche before the final phase of the season as part of the usual psychological games, was subsequently able to see this confirmed.
The climate between the rival teams is currently deteriorating noticeably, even if the lawyer from Austria was – by his standards – almost reserved after the duel got out of hand: “That’s the rule book, and of course we insisted on our rights.” It hurts Marko enough that McLaren is well on its way to the constructors’ title. This 19th World Cup round was “a bit much for the heart and pulse,” he admitted to the pay-TV channel Sky, “but only Max can defend like that.”
Norris’ team boss believes he has been deprived of his reward by the jury
Norris, as Verstappen’s best friend, could have known what his driving style was like. The two had already collided in Austria in the summer. Norris later admitted that he should have given the place back to Verstappen immediately after the ride and then attacked again: “Maybe that was my only chance.” The fact that he could start to ponder now probably has nothing to do with mental weakness to do: “That’s life. I attacked well, Max defended himself well. Third place would have been deserved, but those are the rules. But the decision kills our momentum.”
Self-criticism aside, the frantic cat-and-mouse game in Texas fully deserved the word “doll” used by Marko. The limitation of the road, the so-called track limits, which was Norris’s downfall during his maneuver, is not the first time that it has caused debate. And this time the verdict could have been decisive for the title. McLaren’s team boss Andrea Stella struggled to maintain composure: “I find the decision inappropriate. The stewards should have let this exciting duel go. They ripped the wages we deserved out of our hands without us being able to do anything about it.” Stella smugly pointed out a pattern of Verstappen’s behavior in such situations, which in turn angered the world champion: “Lately, McLaren has been complaining a bit often about everything Possible.”
In any case, nothing better can happen to the premier class than the recent controversy. Lando Norris will have the opportunity for revenge in Mexico City next weekend – and can see how intact his morale and title chances are. The crucial lesson from Austin is that he can no longer make compromises.
