Christian Horner’s ‘black and white’ response after FIA penalise Norris in Verstappen battle

Christian Horner is perplexed McLaren didn’t tell Lando Norris to give the position back to Max Verstappen having passed him off the track in Austin as it was a “black-and-white” scenario.

Added to McLaren’s misery, he reckons if Norris had done it immediately, he “probably” would’ve got Verstappen in the final four laps.

Christian Horner called Lando Norris’ off-track pass a ‘slam dunk’ penalty

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Blackstock

Verstappen and Norris’ rivalry ignited at the Circuit of the Americas as the two raced wheel-to-wheel twice in Sunday’s 56-lap Grand Prix.

Their first battle was on the opening lap as Verstappen took the inside line against pole-sitter Norris, both drivers off the track which opened the door for Charles Leclerc to take the lead.

They were at it again late in the race, this time fighting over third place having also lost out to Carlos Sainz, when Norris tried to pass Verstappen around the outside of Turn 12.

The Red Bull driver again defended hard, neither driver making the corner as he pushed them wide. But in the run-off area, Norris kept his foot down and rejoined the track ahead of Verstappen.

McLaren felt the corner was Norris’ and that he was justified in staying ahead while Verstappen said the Briton had to give the position back. The stewards agreed with Verstappen and Red Bull and hit Norris with a five-second time penalty.

He crossed the line 4.1s ahead of Verstappen but the “slam dunk” penalty, as Horner put it, meant Norris finished behind him with the Red Bull on the podium.

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“First of all, the racing between the two of them was competitive and great to watch and obviously all the drivers know acutely what the rules are,” Horner told the media including PlanetF1.com at his post-race briefing. “They discuss these issues in particular corners in the briefings with the various stewards and driver stewards and race directors.

“So look, the pass was made off track. We’ve been on the receiving end of that. In fact, here I think in 2018.

“So for us it was crystal clear that the pass had been made off the track. So, you know, he should have given the place back. He chose not to. So therefore there was a penalty.

“For us, it was very much a black-and-white scenario, one driver went off the track and then overtaking.”

“I think it was a slam dunk,” he added. “And the problem is again, we then have the arguments of you want the right people on the podium. It’s happened so many times that I actually think the stewards dealt with it pretty rapidly and decently today.”

Christian Horner defends Max Verstappen in ‘let them race’ lap 1 ruling

Asked specifically about Verstappen’s antics on the very first lap when he went up the inside of Norris and forced him off the track at Turn 1, Horner said that was a “classic” example of the ‘let them race’ philosophy.

“I think we discussed these many, many times and it goes back to Niki Lauda making an impassioned plea to [former FIA race director] Charlie Whiting of just let them race,” he said.

“And it was agreed then for the first lap it used to be, now is very much the first corner, let them race. And that was a classic, classic case of that. And they all know that.”

That though does open the door for teams and drivers to question the stewards’ consistency, something both McLaren and Mercedes were up in arms about after the Austin race.

Horner said of that: “I think it’s very difficult for the stewards, and every incident is different, so you have to look at every incident individually.

“And you know, when you’re on the receiving end of it, it’s not nice. As I say, we’ve been on the receiving end of it numerous times, not just at this track, but at other tracks. So, you know, they all know what’s at stake.”

Adding to McLaren’s misery, Horner reckons had Norris given the position back immediately, he probably would’ve been able to pass Verstappen before the chequered flag.

“What I perhaps didn’t understand was it was clear there was going to be a penalty, or it looked pretty clear there was going to be a penalty, with the car advantage and tyre advantage that McLaren had at that point of the race, it looked like he went to give the place back up at Turn One, but there was some confusion there.

“If he’d have given the place back immediately, he would probably have had enough pace to make the pass.”

Winning the sprint and third in the Grand Prix in Austin, Verstappen extended his lead over Norris to 57 points in the Drivers’ standings. It was the first time in five races that he’d outscored the McLaren driver.

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