Lando Norris is starting to run out of time to catch Max Verstappen in the race for the Formula 1 world championship.
Norris and his team, McLaren, left Texas for Mexico losing ground behind Verstappen, following a disappointing weekend for the British team at the United States Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver won the sprint race, then took third place in Sunday’s race after Norris received a penalty for going out of bounds to attempt an overtake. at the expense of the Dutchman in the final laps of the event.
This penalty will fuel discussions in garages and paddocks until next season. And that won’t help Norris in the short term.
Verstappen covets a fourth consecutive world championship. Norris is trying to win his first, and Texas reminded him how difficult, if not impossible, it is to take the title from the Red Bull driver.
Norris had the fastest car at the end of the race on Sunday. However, he found himself stuck behind the pugnacious Verstappen, who refused to give way to him as the two drivers fought for every inch on the track.
When Norris finally attempted a move to grab third place, about four laps from the checkered flag, track marshals determined that he had left the confines of the circuit to gain a place in the standings. He therefore received a five-second penalty.
Norris crossed the finish line in third position. Officially, he finished fourth and Verstappen climbed to the third step of the podium.
No mercy
This penalty, as well as his duel with Verstappen, visibly burned the Briton.
“He defends his place when leaving the circuit, he overtakes when leaving the circuit. But I’m not going to complain about it. Max drove well and defended well, and we put on a good show. But the regulations are the same for everyone,” Norris said.
Verstappen’s victory in the sprint race on Saturday may seem encouraging for Red Bull. Except that the Austrian team was never able to maintain Ferrari’s pace in a classic race, and Norris managed to overtake Verstappen.
Despite all this, Red Bull has tightened its grip on winning the world championship. And Verstappen showed McLaren no mercy on Sunday, after the British team complained they had been unfairly knocked off the podium.
“They have often been complaining for some time,” Verstappen said. The fight with Lando towards the end of the race was “cool”, it was very intense and we had a lot of fun. You’re not allowed to overtake an opponent outside the white line, and I’ve already lost a podium here after overtaking outside the circuit limits. »
And he will savor each result which will allow him to consolidate his lead at the top of the general classification.
“We are heading in the right direction. But it’s not over, summed up Verstappen. In fact, the most important thing is that we managed to widen the gap at the front. »
