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Mexico City GP stewards have explained their reasoning for handing Max Verstappen two penalties, 10 seconds each, for two driving offenses they spotted in the champion’s battle with Lando Norris early in the race.
The first penalty was imposed because the stewards ruled that the Dutchman pushed Norris off the track when the Englishman tried to pass him on the outside at Turn 4, in the 10th of 71 laps of the race.
Norris had to take to the grass on the inside of the turn, and returning to the track found himself leading the race. He then gave the lead to Saint, as he deserved, but kept Verstappen behind him in 3rd.
Seconds later, the Dutchman made his attack on Norris at Turn 8 to reclaim 2nd place, but this was too optimistic a move. When Lando called Max “dangerous”, on the radio with his team.
These two moves by Verstappen brought both penalties from the stewards. The first because he pushed another competitor off the track, and the second because he went off the track himself and thus gained an unfair advantage.
Serving his two penalties at his one and only pit stop, Verstappen fell well back in the standings before moving up to 6th by the finish. Norris claimed 2nd place, reducing his gap to the Dutchman at the top of the championship from 57 to 47 points.
The race course explanation for turn 4
The stewards’ decision on Max Verstappen’s two penalties during the Mexico City GP reads – starting with the Turn 4 incident: “Norris was trying to pass on the outside of Verstappen in Turn 4. Norris was ahead of Verstappen at the entrance, apex and exit of the corner when he started to push off the track.
The stewards believe the overtaking was done in a safe and controlled manner and that Norris could have completed the in-track overtaking had he not been forced to do so by Verstappen. Norris cut the corner, but immediately gave back the position he had won to Saint. The sentence is the standard sentence for such cases.”
The race course explanation for turn 8
Regarding the ensuing Turn 8 incident, the stewards’ document states: “Following the incident at Turn 4, Verstappen attempted to pass Norris on the inside of Turn 8. Verstappen was in front at the top of Turn 8 and would he was entitled to space to compete.
However, he failed to complete the on-track move, spun out and maintained the advantage by winning the position, inadvertently forcing Norris off-track. The penalty is the standard penalty for leaving the track and gaining a permanent advantage.”
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