The controversy is served. He United States Grand Prix 2024 will go down in history as the day when Max Verstappen He got away with trampling on the Formula 1 regulations.
After a battle of almost ten laps during which Verstappen kept the lead Lando Norris Showing solvency, the Briton did everything he could with four laps remaining to take third position. Lando arrived at braking turn 12 ahead, but Max was unwilling to give in and extended braking beyond the limit, kick the McLaren off the track. In fact, Verstappen was so far ahead that even he literally crossed the finish line.
Norris overtook him and took third position, but at that point Verstappen’s complaints began. “He must give me back the position, he overtook me off the track!“Max shouted over the radio.
In response to protests from Red Bullthe race director opened an investigation which seemed to lead nowhere, but, to McLaren’s surprise, a few minutes later, the investigation was resolved with a verdict that was not going to please them: five-second penalty for Norris.
The Briton tried to go as fast as possible to widen the gap and retain the podium, but he was only nine tenths of a second behind, so when the penalty was applied, He gave up third place, and worse, three points to his rival in the fight for the World Cup..
The same did not happen with Sainz
The FIA’s decision is all the more controversial because in the first lap of the race a similar situation occurred with Max Verstappen himself in a duel with Carlos Sainz.
On this occasion it was Verstappen who overtook doing exactly the same thing that Norris did later, although the stewards, despite the obvious similarity of the two overtakes, did not apply the same criteria and They allowed the Red Bull driver to leave without sanction.
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