Max Verstappen is unconvinced by the points McLaren raised regarding his battle with Lando Norris at the United States Grand Prix. The weekend further escalated the ongoing conflict between Red Bull and McLaren, which had already flared up during the flexi-wings and “mini DRS” controversy in Baku. The tension reached a boiling point when McLaren accused Red Bull of using the now infamous “bib trick” on the RB20.
Once the off-track disputes were set aside, the racing added more drama, especially with the intense battle between the two championship rivals. Max Verstappen fiercely defended his third-place position in Austin, ultimately yielding to Lando Norris’ superior MCL-38 only on lap 52, just four laps before the checkered flag.
However, Lando Norris’ overtake took place well outside the white line boundaries, although, to be fair, it was Max Verstappen who had pushed him wide by extending his braking into turn 12. After the race, McLaren naturally protested the stewards’ decision, with Andrea Stella arguing that Norris’ maneuver was fair, given the circumstances of the overtake.
Max Verstappen, however, dismissed their claim, asserting that the rules leave no room for interpretation: “McLaren has been complaining a lot lately. The rules are very clear: you can’t pass outside the white line. It happened to me too in the past – I think it was in 2017, or around then – I lost a podium for the same reason.” – he pointed out.
“So, I stayed calm, just trying to do my best to bring the car home. It wasn’t easy with the tires and the situation I was in. But overall, I really enjoyed the battle we had.”
Speaking about another borderline incident at turn 1 right after the start, Max Verstappen defended his actions, saying: “There was a gap on the inside, so I went for it. That corner is very wide, so you can either go very wide or try to keep it really tight.” – the Dutchman explained.
“I chose to go tight, and I still ended up in second, with Charles Leclerc ahead. I think it worked out well for me because Charles was faster anyway, so he pulled ahead. Today wasn’t our best race compared to yesterday. We struggled to find balance and grip. I couldn’t brake properly or get the car to rotate, so I knew early on that I wasn’t going to win the race. I just tried to do my best.” – the world champion concluded.
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