Battle in Turn 1 at COTA, Lando Norris admits: “I drove like a muppet”. Lando Norris opens up on his mistake after the Austin race start at COTA.

Tactical error
During the 2024 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, after the duel with Max Verstappen in Turn 1 where he came out on the losing end, Lando Norris had opened up over the radio to his pit wall, criticizing the rival’s maneuver, claiming that the Red Bull driver had pushed him off the track, preventing him from attempting the turn.

Upon reflection, speaking to journalists after the race, the Englishman softened his version of events somewhat—or at least acknowledged that he made a tactical mistake himself at the start by not fully closing the door on the inside to Max Verstappen, who didn’t hesitate to dive into the gap with his RB20.

“Like a muppet”
“If I had defended better in Turn 1 and hadn’t driven like a muppet, I could have been leading after Turn 1, and we wouldn’t be talking about this,” admitted the Englishman, referring also to the controversial incident in Turn 12 at the end of the race, which cost him a five-second penalty and the third step on the podium.

Lando Norris, still speaking to the media in Austin, reiterated his belief that the Red Bull champion had gone overboard with the approach he used at the start: “In Turn 1, the fact is that he came in with so much speed that he ended up off the track. You can’t just dive inside someone, go off into the run-off area, and then keep the position as if everything was normal. But for some reason, if you do it on the first lap, in the first corner, it’s all fine,” he concluded at the end of the United States Grand Prix in Austin.