Lando Norris believes his championship rival Max Verstappen is aware of he went too far along with his defensive strikes throughout yesterday’s Mexican Grand Prix.
Verstappen was penalised twice for a pair of incidents with Norris on lap 10 of the race. Norris mentioned his rival’s techniques confirmed he’s not attempting to win races, however delay him as a lot as attainable.
“I am going into each race anticipating a troublesome battle with Max,” mentioned Norris, who reduce his rival’s championship result in 47 factors yesterday. “It’s clear that it doesn’t matter if he wins or second, his solely job is to beat me within the race, and he’ll sacrifice himself to do this, like he did right now.”
Norris mentioned his rival’s driving yesterday went past onerous racing and his two 10-second time penalties have been justified. “I wish to have good battles with him,” he mentioned. “I wish to have these robust battles, like I’ve seen him have loads of instances. However honest ones.
“It’s at all times going to be on the road. It’s at all times going to be robust with Max. He’s by no means going to make anybody’s life simple, particularly mine at this level of the 12 months. However I believe right now was simply… It was not honest, clear racing. And subsequently, I believe he bought what he had coming to him.”
Verstappen responded to Norris’ try to cross him across the outdoors of flip 4 by forcing him off the monitor. At flip seven he lunged up the within of the McLaren, pushing each of them off the monitor in a 155kph nook with little run-off. Each drivers misplaced a place to Charles Leclerc at that time, which it took Norris till the top of the race to get better.
Norris mentioned Verstappen’s strikes pressured him to take evasive motion. “At present I felt like I simply needed to keep away from collisions and that’s not what you are feeling such as you wish to do in a race,” he mentioned.
Advert | Turn into a RaceFans supporter and
“He’s in a really highly effective place within the championship. He’s a good distance forward. He has nothing to lose. Individuals can say it’s the opposite approach round, like he’s bought every little thing to lose and it’s all for me. But it surely’s not the case.”
He believes Verstappen knew his strikes weren’t allowed underneath the foundations however was prepared to take the chance given the championship state of affairs. “He is aware of the best way to drive,” mentioned Norris. “And I’m certain he is aware of that right now was most likely a bit over the restrict.”
It was the second race in a row the place the pair have clashed controversially. In Austin Norris acquired a five-second time penalty for overtaking Verstappen off the monitor, because the Crimson Bull driver additionally left the circuit as he tried to maintain his rival behind.
Norris mentioned the combat between the pair in Mexico “was one other degree in each of these circumstances.”
“I used to be forward of Max within the braking zone, previous the apex. I’m avoiding crashing right now. That is the distinction.
“I can’t communicate for him, and possibly he’ll say one thing completely different. However I believe right now was a step too removed from each of these, and it was clear that the stewards agreed with that.
Advert | Turn into a RaceFans supporter and
“So I don’t see it as a win or something like this, nevertheless it’s extra that I hope Max acknowledges that he took it a step too far.”
Verstappen responded to criticism of his defensive driving in Austin by insisting he obeys the foundations. Nevertheless Norris identified that wasn’t the case when Verstappen re-passed at flip seven following the incident at flip 4.
“I didn’t must let Max via,” he mentioned. “I used to be forward on the apex of 4, I needed to keep away from him crashing into me.
“Then [turn] seven was the identical factor once more. The factor is, what I didn’t perceive, like what didn’t come earlier, was he overtook off the monitor.
“It was additionally overly aggressive and people varieties of issues, however he overtook off the monitor. I don’t know what the wording of the penalties are and people varieties of issues, however he says he drives to the foundations. That was his primary factor he mentioned after final weekend, and right now he overtook by going forwards off the monitor.
“We’ll see. Max will likely be again subsequent weekend and I anticipate simply extra robust battles.”
Advert | Turn into a RaceFans supporter and
Miss nothing from RaceFans
Get a day by day e mail with all our newest tales – and nothing else. No advertising and marketing, no adverts. Join right here:
