Lando Norris Fumes After 'Rushed' FIA USGP Verdict - 'Don't Hear Or Understand Our Points'

Saajan Jogia | 3 Hours Ago

Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; McLaren Formula 1 Team driver Lando Norris (4) of Team Great Britain walks into the track before the Sprint Race in the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

McLaren driver Lando Norris has opened up on the "rushed" verdict given by the FIA on his close track battle with Max Verstappen, where both drivers were pushed off the track while running side by side. However, it was only Norris who received the penalty, leading him to say the governing body doesn't "hear or understand" what the drivers have to say.

The Turn 12 incident saw Norris handed a five-second penalty for overtaking off-track before pulling ahead of Verstappen. However, Norris was unable to serve the penalty during the race, as the FIA issued it on the final lap of the United States Grand Prix.

The decision has raised questions about the FIA's handling of such incidents, particularly as it extended Verstappen's lead over Norris by five points in the Drivers' Championship. Although Norris finished third, the penalty dropped him to fourth, placing him behind Verstappen.

The British driver's conclusion to the saga was that the FIA just wanted to deal with the matter in the short window available before the race concluded, which thereby became a "rushed" decision. While he said that he enjoyed the battle with the Dutchman, he claimed that the governing body failed to understand other perspectives while levying a penalty. He told the media:

"I think there's again inconsistency, but 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, but therefore it's a rushed decision and they don't hear my point of discussion or my team's point or Max's point.

"I don't think it's maybe the most correct thing, but today it was a penalty and there's 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, so congrats to him.

"I don't think you can appeal this kind of penalty, which is again a silly thing because they're just guessing and I don't think that's how stewarding should be done. But it's a difficult job for them to do, so I'm not complaining against them.

"I think it's just more the fact they don't see everything, understand everything as well as we do when we're inside the car. That's it."

Norris then questioned how other incidents were treated differently from the incident on Turn 12, as the Red Bull tried his best to remain "committed" in the final stages of the race. He added:

"I think both times Max went off the track. He had a lot of commitment to keep me behind.

"The thing is with Max, you've got to commit - people don't understand that kind of thing. With Max, you can't just go half-hearted.

"Turn 1 is a bit harder to say whether it was because I didn't commit enough, but the fact [is] that he committed so much speed in that he again went off the track.

"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 OK on Turn 1 of lap one. It's a tough one. I don't know. It hurts today."