Christian Horner makes ‘fair play’ admission as he watches Lando Norris onboard from Max Verstappen clash

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Formula 1 may have moved on to Brazil, but the debate is still on the recent incidents between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.

The two title protagonists have come to blows several times across the season, with the most recent clashes sparking conversations about the regulations and the severity of penalties handed out.

Norris was handed a five-second time penalty in Austin for passing Verstappen off the track at turn 12, subsequently demoting the McLaren driver behind the Dutchman to fourth.

At the Mexico City Grand Prix, it was Verstappen who bared the brunt of the stewards as he was given a 20-second time penalty for forcing Norris off the track at turns four and 10. The Red Bull driver recovered to sixth from the back of the field after serving his penalty, while Norris finished second and closed the gap in the championship.

Verstappen has received a lot of backlash for his aggressive approach, with Damon Hill warning that he is ‘losing respect’ because of his actions.

But it seems that the three-time champion has no intention of changing his style of driving, as Verstappen joked that he would need a drink in the pits as he serves a long penalty.

Christian Horner admits Max Verstappen penalty was fair but stressed that these penalties will ‘change the way drivers race’

Christian Horner was vocal with his protest over the severity of the punishment given to Verstappen, which was echoed by Helmut Marko who believed the stewards wanted to set an example.

At the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after FP1, Horner was shown the view from Norris’ onboard camera on Sky Sports F1 as the incident was still firmly on everyone’s mind.

As Horner re-watched the incident, he admitted that the turn 10 penalty was ‘fair’, but was still adamant that Verstappen had the corner at turn four and if these penalties continue to be handed out, it will change the way the drivers race on track.

Looking at Norris’ onboard heading into turn four, Horner said: “So, at this point, he’s carrying a lot more speed and I really don’t think he would have been able to stay on track at that point.

“And of course, the other car just can’t get out the way and I think the problem we’ve got with the way these rules are going is, always when you’re on the outside, you’re going to be taking more risks. The corner belongs to the inside line.

“I get that one [turn 10], fair play. But the one before, I think it’s very, very difficult because it’s going to change the way that these guys go racing.”

Max Verstappen has a five-place grid penalty for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix

The result in Mexico City sees Norris close the gap to 47 points in the fight for the world championship. With 120 points still up for grabs, the McLaren driver will have to keep pushing to the absolute limit, whilst also hoping Verstappen slips up with another penalty or a retirement.

As luck would have it, Verstappen will have a five-place grid penalty for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after making another engine change. It will not apply for the Sprint Race on Saturday, giving Verstappen the chance to fight freely for his fifth Sprint win of the season.

Choosing to take the penalty in Brazil is a smart move for Red Bull, given the easier overtaking opportunities there are compared to Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Helmut Marko sees the penalty as a ‘good thing’ as Verstappen will be given more horsepower and a better chance of making up ground.

The RB20’s performance compared to Ferrari and McLaren will still be a problem as the defending champions still seem to be struggling to find that pace to beat their rivals. Verstappen’s penalty will not help matters, and will give Norris a big advantage to pull away and make up more ground on the Dutchman in the championship.