Lando Norris calls Max Verstappen’s driving ‘dangerous’ after title rivals clash – Irvine Times

Norris finished second – four places ahead of the Dutchman – to take 10 points off Verstappen’s championship lead and will head to Brazil next weekend 47 points adrift with 120 points left to fight for.

A week after Norris was demoted behind Verstappen after being penalized for overtaking his rival off the track in Austin, it was the Dutchman who fell foul of the stewards as he sent the McLaren man off the track.

McLaren failed to challenge Norris’ penalty earlier this week, but it took just 10 laps for the title rivals to clash again at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Norris got around Verstappen at turn five and was forced off the track, before the Red Bull driver left the track at turn eight, forcing the Briton off the track again.

The stewards slapped Verstappen with two separate 10-second penalties for the two cornering incidents, with Norris saying “that guy’s dangerous” over the team radio.

“I don’t think I need to say much. It’s pretty understandable what happened,” Norris said.

“I did everything I was told in terms of the rules.

“I go into every race expecting a tough battle with Max. Clearly, it doesn’t matter if he wins or comes second, he just wants to beat me in the race.

“He sacrificed himself to do what he did today.

“I want to have tough fights, but fair ones. It’s always going to be hard with Max.

“It wasn’t a fair, clean race today, so he got the penalty.”

Norris said he was an “honest competitor” and believed Verstappen didn’t care about his own finishing position as long as he got the better of his title rival.

“Probably (he was tougher this week). Today I felt like I had to avoid collisions and that’s not what you want to do in a race,” added Norris.

“He is in a very strong position in the championship. He has nothing to lose. I’m just focused on myself, it’s not my job to control him, he knows how to drive.

“I think he knows he was a little over the limit today.”

Pole sitter Carlos Sainz cruised to victory on the high-mountain circuit, while Norris produced a superb final push to close down Charles Leclerc and claim second place.

Verstappen worked his way back through the field after serving his penalties to finish sixth, with Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and George Russell fourth and fifth.

The three-time world champion insists he is more concerned about the lack of speed from his Red Bull car than the penalties he has received.

“Yes, 20 seconds is a lot, but I’m not going to cry about it and I’m also not going to share my opinion,” Verstappen said.

“Turn four was more of a question mark, turn eight is what it is.

“But that’s not my problem, my problem is that we’re too slow. That is why I am put in such positions.”

Verstappen continues to believe he is driving as he should be despite his heavy penalty.

“I just drive the way I think you should drive. Last week it was fine, this week a 20-second penalty,” he added.

“It is what it is. life goes on.” I just keep racing.”