Max Verstappen received two ten-second penalties following a heated duel with title rival Lando Norris at the Mexico City Grand Prix, a punishment that could have serious implications for his championship standing.
During the race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Verstappen and Norris found themselves locked in an intense battle. Norris attempted to overtake the reigning champion, but the aggressive maneuver led to a collision that forced both drivers off the track. Norris, cutting across the circuit, managed to regain his position momentarily, only to be overtaken by Verstappen in a swift and contested move that led the drivers back onto the track.
Norris was vocal about the encounter, stating, “I was ahead the whole way through the corner. This guy is dangerous. It’s the same as last time.” He continued, “He overtook off the track and pushed me off.”
FIA Takes Action Against Verstappen
Following Norris’s complaint, the FIA reviewed the incident and imposed an initial ten-second penalty on Verstappen for his maneuver. Verstappen expressed frustration over the decision, and a Red Bull engineer backed him up, dismissing Norris’s comments as “a lot of whinging.” However, the FIA wasn’t done yet: Verstappen received an additional ten-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. The penalties pushed Verstappen, who had qualified in third, down the leaderboard to a sixth-place finish.
Title Implications And Standings Shift
Despite the setback, Norris rebounded from his earlier position and secured an impressive second-place finish behind Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, with Sainz’s teammate Charles Leclerc finishing third. This outcome allowed Norris to reduce the points gap, gaining a valuable ten points on Verstappen, who still holds a lead of 57 points. With only four races left in the season, the penalties could significantly impact Verstappen’s path to securing the championship title.
Looking Ahead To Brazil
The next race is set for the Brazilian Grand Prix, where tensions will likely be high as Verstappen and Norris continue their battle for points. The penalties in Mexico City have heightened the rivalry between the two, and the coming race may provide Norris an opportunity to narrow the gap further in the standings.
As the season races toward its finale, the Verstappen-Norris rivalry has added an extra layer of intrigue, with each race now critical for both contenders’ title hopes.
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