After the United States Grand Prix at the 5.513-kilometre Circuit of The Americas in Austin, while Scuderia Ferrari gathered in front of the hospitality area for the traditional victory photo, the focus in McLaren and Red Bull was on the five-second penalty imposed on Norris by the sports commissioners, which dropped him from third to fourth place. The incident occurred four laps from the end when, with the aid of DRS on the long straight, Norris attacked Verstappen just before the braking point for Turn 12. The McLaren was initially ahead, but during the braking phase, the Red Bull returned (by less than a meter) to the front at the apex of the corner.
Both cars slid into the escape road, and as Lando Norris returned to the track, he managed to overtake Verstappen. Max quickly communicated via radio, stating that Norris had passed him off the track, while Norris pointed out to his engineer, Will Joseph, that he had been pushed into the escape road. Three laps later (one lap before the checkered flag), the sports commissioners handed Norris a five-second penalty that restored the original positions.
In reaching their verdict, the commissioners referenced the sporting regulations regarding overtaking, which had recently been revised at the request of the drivers. The rule states that a driver attacking an opponent at the entrance to a corner while taking the outside line must be ahead (with the front axle) at the apex of the corner. Otherwise, the driver in the inside position may widen their line, even if it means pushing their opponent off the track.
A representative from a team, who regularly attends the commissioners’ office, was very clear: “Drivers know the rules very well; they discuss them for hours in their meetings with race control. If you overtake off track, you must give the position back. I was surprised that Lando didn’t do it right away; he would have had the chance to try the attack again in the four laps remaining before the checkered flag.” Lando Norris did not receive any indication from his team regarding this, and in fact, McLaren was initially convinced that Max Verstappen was the one under the scrutiny of the commissioners.
Confirmation came from communications between the pit wall and Oscar Piastri, who was asked to increase his pace to be ready to capitalize on a possible penalty against Max. When the five-second penalty for Norris was confirmed a lap and a half from the finish, Oscar Piastri was immediately instructed to slow down to avoid risking losing fourth place for his teammate. After the race, Andrea Stella complained about the time taken by the commissioners before delivering their verdict. “At that point, it would have been wiser to finish the race without definitive penalties and calmly discuss the incident afterward; there was no urgency, especially considering that the incident involved two drivers fighting for the world title.”
Horner, of course, was busy defending the commissioners’ verdict and recalled that in 2018 it was Max Verstappen who was penalized (also in Austin) after overtaking Kimi Raikkonen with all four wheels of his car off the solid line that marks the track. As expected, some pointed out that (with roles reversed) the Dutchman had also managed to pass Lando Norris (at the first corner after the start) by going into the escape road. But this enters a different scenario, namely the tolerance asked (for some time) of the sports commissioners in judging incidents that occur immediately after the start.
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