Lando Norris, after a long battle with Charles Leclerc, managed to secure second place at the Austin Grand Prix, but controversy followed the race.
Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc put on a spectacular show at the Austin GP. Thanks to a very aggressive strategy, the Monegasque driver gained a position right at the first corner, pushing Lando Norris down to third. The McLaren driver, however, never gave up and immediately began closing the gap while disturbing the Ferrari number 16.
Charles Leclerc tried to defend against Norris’ comeback until the end, but a more worn tyre with extra laps forced him to give way to the McLaren.
The jab at the FIA
During the press conference after the Austin GP, Lando Norris took the chance to throw a jab at the FIA. The controversial moment was the overtaking attempt on Leclerc in the first part of the race. To avoid contact, the McLaren driver had to go off track. After that move, Lando Norris was shown the black-and-white flag for reaching three track limits, leaving him no room for error for the rest of the race.
Asked how much it affected him, Norris said: “A little. I mean, the easiest places to go off track were Turn 9, at the top of the hill, and then the last two corners. I think I reached three track limits already by lap ten, so I didn’t put myself in the best position. But one of my warnings came while I was racing. I think it’s one of the most absurd rules we have — they tell us to race, but if you do it too much, you get penalized. I got a warning for track limits while trying to pass on the outside and losing time to Charles. It doesn’t make much sense when it comes to real racing.”
Norris added: “But it definitely made life a bit harder, especially in Turn 19, where — as Max said — the wind was very unpredictable. It’s hard to stay on the limit without making mistakes — which I did a bit too early in the race. In the end, I was more cautious because I knew I couldn’t afford a penalty. But I still took the necessary risks.”
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