The FIA stewards imposed a five-second penalty on Lando Norris after one of the most exciting overtakes on Max Verstappen during lap 52 in the US Grand Prix. This overtake cost Norris his podium place after qualifying from the pole. The question remains whether the penalty was justified.
Norris vs Verstappen: Race Incident:
Max Verstappen lost the P2 position after being undercut by Carlos Sainz and had to fight Ferrari to keep up with the original leader when he had fresher tires, but he could not do it. Norris was cautious about looking after his tires and began to push hard at the end of the stint, generating a six-lap tire delta over Verstappen.
On lap 31, Norris pitted and emerged six seconds behind Verstappen with 25 laps remaining. From lap 47, Norris quickly closed the gap and made several overtakes, finally passing around the outside at Turn 12 on lap 52.
The Controversial Overtake:
Norris made a pass on Verstappen but was to have lost it as he left the track and gained an advantage, thus earning a five-second penalty.
Norris was too hard on his tires to push ahead and build a five-second gap but still came short by a second. He finished in fourth.
The Rule
The overtakes should be within the limit of the track as per FIA rules. In such circumstances where the car is out of the limits of the track, that achieves an advantage; they should surrender the position or incur a penalty for that.
Team And Driver Reactions
Christian Horner (Red Bull Team Principal): Horner, though, maintained that the rules are clear: “The pass was made off the track. Norris should have given the place back. It was a black-and-white scenario.”
Horner commented about that, saying that he could not understand why it was not returned immediately because if that had been the case, then he probably might have gotten it again, thanks to his tires.
Norris & Verstappen: Their teams and respective drivers had their take on it, but it was what the stewards thought.
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella: He was frustrated with the outcome and mentioned that external decisions impacted their result while they aimed for a podium finish. He expressed confidence in their strategy and pace, emphasizing the need to review and return stronger in future races.
Lando Norris: He found the race solitary after starting and finishing in P4. He highlighted the importance of the points gained for the Constructors’ Championship. Still, he acknowledged the pace deficit compared to Ferrari, aiming to bounce back more vital in the next race in Mexico.
Max Verstappen noted the tight competition and expressed disappointment over Lando’s race being affected initially by an incident in Turn 1 and later by a penalty. He disagreed with the penalty decision, feeling it unfairly altered the race outcome.
FIA Stewards:
The rules based on which the stewards operated were that leaving the track leaves one ahead, hence the penalty on Norris. This case depicts how ambiguous the rules of racing are and how judgmental decisions can sometimes be made. Amidst all this, telemetry data and books give guidelines still in contention in the heat of the moment.
Read More Sports Related News on CrPatinews
- IPL 2025, Match 46th, DC vs RCB: Weather Prediction And Pitch Report
Delhi Capitals will play against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Arun Jaitley Stadium tonight. - IPL 2025, Match 45th, MI vs LSG: Weather Prediction And Pitch ReportMumbai Indians will play against Lucknow Super Giants in the 45th match of the IPL 2025.
- DC vs RCB Dream11 Prediction 2025: Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Pitch Report, Betting Tips, and Dream 11 PredictionDC vs RCB Dream11 Prediction 2025: This is the third home match for the Delhi Capitals, and they will face the Royal Challengers Bengaluru once again in the IPL 2025. The game will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on April 27, 2025. Team Preview of Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru…
- Jamie Vardy’s Legendary Career at Leicester City And The Titles He WonFrom non-league forward to Premier League title winner, Jamie Vardy’s Leicester City career is the stuff of football fairytales. Few could have envisaged, when he joined the club in 2012, the phenomenal effect he would have, not only at Leicester, but on English football as a whole. Early Days at Leicester (2012–2014) In May 2012,…
- IPL 2025, Match 44th, KKR vs PBKS: Weather Prediction And Pitch ReportKKR will play against Punjab Kings at Eden Gardens tonight.
