Lando Norris Issues Strong Statement On USGP Clash With Max Verstappen

Saajan Jogia | Oct 25, 2024

Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (right) talks with Formula 1 Team driver Lando Norris (left) of Team Great Britain after 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’s Lando Norris has issued a strong statement regarding his United States Grand Prix clash with Max Verstappen, claiming that "his only job was to beat me." Norris hinted that this would be Verstappen's approach for the remaining five Grands Prix of the 2024 season. In response, Norris plans to make slight changes to his approach in the championship battle with the Red Bull driver.

The incident occurred on Lap 52 at Turn 12, where Norris attempted an outside overtake on Verstappen through a left-hander. Verstappen reportedly forced Norris beyond track limits and also crossed the white lines himself. Norris ultimately passed Verstappen off-track but did not give back the position. Although Norris initially finished in third place, ahead of the Red Bull driver, the stewards handed him a 5-second penalty for overtaking beyond track limits, dropping him to fourth.

This penalty was a setback for the 24-year-old driver in his championship pursuit against Verstappen, who extended his lead by 5 points over the weekend. Verstappen’s sprint victory also contributed to his 57-point advantage, a margin that would have been tighter without the penalty. While the USGP weekend saw Red Bull come alive after a long period of struggle due to the balance problem on the RB20 F1 car, Norris insists Verstappen's only goal is to beat him. He told the media ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix:

"We saw Max didn’t care if he won or was second or third, his only job was to beat me and he did that - so he did a good job from that side.

"I had a lot of fun and I respected the battle that we had. He still ended up on top and I need to be beating him. So some little things I need to change but I don’t need to change my whole approach.

"I am still staying clear and avoiding collisions which a lot of things that we have done could have been or turned into worse things like bigger crashes. I avoid them and therefore races could’ve ended earlier than they have.

"Getting caught up in collisions like Turn 1 or Turn 12 could’ve easily been that he's in a much more powerful position than I'm in, so it's up to me and the team to try to overcome that."

A popular opinion after the race at the Circuit of the Americas was that Norris could have handed the position back to Verstappen before re-attempting an overtake. However, the McLaren driver revealed that his tires would not have given him a second chance and also emphasized his team's support behind the bold call. He added:

"It is too easy for people to say this [give the place back]. My tyres were getting hotter and hotter and getting away from me more and more.

"My pace difference to Max was decreasing, so if I let him back past there might not have been a chance to get past him again. 

"I am always just trying to do what I think is best at the time and within the rules which I believe to be correct. Sometimes it is difficult, hence why I asked the team 'what do you guys think?'. 

"Ideally the stewards would say 'we don’t think this is right, give the position back,' that would be a much more simple thing to do, but that's not how it works. 

"I believed I was in the right, and I asked the team for confirmation and they believed we were in the right. Therefore I’ve continued. 

"I think we are doing a good job as a team; I think our approach is correct, but sometimes you don’t come up on top."