While ourceURL:ab got away with a five-second penalty, Max Verstappen got ten seconds – these are the reasons
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris are fighting a bitter battle for the title in the 2024 Formula 1 season. Accordingly, the Dutchman and the Briton often clash on the track. In Austin, Norris received a five-second penalty, while in Mexico, Verstappen received two ten-second penalties. But why were the situations judged differently?
In the USA, Norris was penalized because he had overtaken Verstappen off the track. Verstappen received a ten-second penalty in Mexico for allegedly pushing Norris’ McLaren off the track as well. Things got pretty heated between the two of them in Mexico: first, Norris was pushed off the track by the Dutchman in turn 4, then there was another incident in turn 7.
While Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko assumes that the International Automobile Federation (FIA) is only reacting to the incidents in Austin, the FIA has other reasons for the different penalties. The standard penalty for Verstappen’s action against Norris in turn 7 is ten seconds, according to the federation. He had gone off the track and gained an advantage through a very aggressive maneuver.
Norris was granted mitigating circumstances in Austin because Verstappen had defended himself very aggressively. In turn 12 at the Circuit of The Americas, both cars finally went off the track. Article 54.3 regulates the leeway of the Formula One Commissioners. This ranges from five to ten seconds up to a drive-through penalty or a stop-and-go of ten seconds. It all depends on the intensity.
Verstappen said after the race in Mexico that a 20-second penalty was “a lot”, but that he didn’t want to complain. But he also held back with his opinion. Norris stated: “No one should have been penalized in Austin because we both did something wrong. I was forced to do something wrong. But according to the McLaren driver, Mexico had a completely different quality of misconduct.
