Lando Norris claims FIA ‘change the rules’ after ‘not correct’ Verstappen defence

Lando Norris says losing to Max Verstappen at the United States Grand Prix “hurts” as he believes Verstappen was “incorrect” in how he defended as they raced for position.

Norris and Verstappen went wheel-to-wheel at the Circuit of The Americas as they fought for the lead off the line, only for Verstappen to dive up the inside which opened the door for Charles Leclerc to go P1.

Lando Norris: For me, the point that is incorrect is what Max did

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Blackstock

Verstappen wasn’t penalised for that despite Norris’ claim that he “clearly pushed me off”.

They were at it again in the closing laps as Norris hunted down Verstappen for the final podium position. He eventually made a move on lap 52, trying to pass Verstappen around the outside.

But the Red Bull driver ran them wide as he defended his position, both drivers off the track.

Norris kept his foot down through the run-off area and returned to the track ahead of Verstappen, only to be handed a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

He was perplexed by that as he says Verstappen tried to defend his position by forcing Norris to leave the track, and that, he says it not right.

“No, not really,” he told the media including PlanetF1.com if he understood why he’d been penalised.

“It’s tough. There’s different alterations of things. It’s a tough job to destroy these kind of things.

“For me, whatever I did, I did. For me, the point that it is incorrect what Max did, which is also he defended his position by going off the track, and what effectively would be keeping his position, which is not correct.

“He went off the track by defending, he’s over-defended and made a mistake, and therefore he’s gained from that.

“At the same time, because of that, I’ve had to go off the track. It’s impossible for people to know if I could have made it on the track or couldn’t therefore you cannot steward that kind of thing.”

More on the penalties at the United States GP

?Explained: Why Max Verstappen wasn’t penalised in dramatic Lando Norris battle

?US Grand Prix conclusions: Red Bull’s bibgate saga and Sergio Perez to jump?

Lando Norris bemoans F1 rules ‘seem to change’

The McLaren driver, who trails Verstappen by 57 points as the penalty meant he finished behind the Dutchman in fourth place, called out what he believes are inconsistent decisions from the stewards.

He also wishes the stewards had taken the time to listen to his and McLaren’s arguments why they felt he didn’t have to give the position back to the championship leader.

“Those are the rules,” he said, “but they seem to change, because I feel like it’s quite inconsistent from say what happened in Austria where Max didn’t get a penalty and went off the track, gained an advantage. So I think there’s again, inconsistency.

“It’s tough for me. It’s just a rushed decision, and they don’t hear or understand our points, which they should do after the race. They just want to make a decision at the time, so you don’t alter points and podiums and things like that, but therefore it’s a rushed decision.

“They didn’t hear my point of discussion or my team’s point or Max’s point, which I don’t think is maybe the most correct thing, but today it was a penalty, and not a lot I can do apart from just accept that.

“I tried. We both tried. It was a great battle. I really enjoyed it. It was tough. Max drove very well and defended very well, he ended up on top.”

Norris went on to claim that stewards don’t always understand what’s going on out on track, especially when it comes to racing against Verstappen.

“I don’t think that’s how stewarding should be done,” he added. “It’s a difficult job for them to do, not complaining against them. I think it’s just more the fact that they don’t see everything, understand everything as well as we do when we’re inside.

“I think both times Max went off the track, he had a lot of commitment to keep me behind. Thing is with Max you have got to commit. People don’t understand that kind of thing. With Max, you can’t just go half-hearted.

“Turn 1 was a bit harder to say when it was because I didn’t commit enough with the fact that he committed so much speed in that he again went off the track.

“I mean, I can’t just dive up the inside of someone, run off and then keep the position in normal running but for some reason it’s completely okay in lap one and Turn one. It’s a tough one. It hurts today.”

McLaren will not appeal the penalty as that’s not allowed in the regulations, which Norris reckons is also “silly” in itself.

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