Lando Norris receives potential F1 title boost amid fresh Max Verstappen penalty talk

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Red Bull driver Max Verstappen received a 10-place grid penalty at the Belgian Grand Prix in July. Verstappen exceeded the maximum allocation of power units for the season, triggering a demotion.

Under the regulations, drivers are only permitted to use four internal combustion engines over the course of the year. There are varying limits for each component of the power unit.

Verstappen comfortably qualified on pole at a wet Spa but fell to 11th on the grid. From there, he mounted a commendable recovery to fourth.

Rivals feared that the Dutchman would still be able to win the race from his lowly starting berth, having scythed through the field at Spa in similar circumstances. But he no longer enjoyed that kind of advantage in his Red Bull, so his progress was steady.

Verstappen crossed the line in fifth but benefitted from George Russell’s disqualification for breaching the weight limit. Crucially, he finished ahead of Lando Norris, who’d started fourth.

Norris ran into the gravel on the exit of turn one, compromising his race. It was a huge opportunity to gain points on his title rival but he ended up losing ground.

This will be one of the many moments he rues come the winter if Verstappen holds onto his advantage. 52 points separate the drivers ahead of the dash to the finish.

Max Verstappen could face yet another engine penalty amid title battle with Lando Norris

Norris has taken all four of his permitted engines, so he appeared to be at greater risk of a penalty in the next six events. But there has been ‘no suggestion’ that this will be necessary, according to BBC Sport’s Andrew Benson.

Instead, there is ‘said to be a possibility’ that Verstappen will have to take ‘another engine’ before the season is out. This could give Norris another chance to make major inroads into the deficit.

The 24-year-old needs virtually everything to go his way if he’s to pull off one of the greatest comebacks F1 has ever seen. He’s yet to win successive Grands Prix, but if McLaren decisively impose team orders, it’s feasible that he could sweep the remaining events based on their Singapore advantage.

If a penalty is needed – Verstappen’s problems all stem from a failure in practice for the Canadian GP – then Red Bull will take it at a venue where overtaking is relatively straightforward. Brazil, Mexico and Las Vegas all stand out as appealing options given their long straights.

Lando Norris ‘laughs’ at what he said about Max Verstappen earlier this year

Helmut Marko was alarmed by Norris’ ‘extraordinary’ pace at Marina Bay. Red Bull are pinning their hopes on an Austin upgrade as they once again revise the floor on the RB20.

Verstappen’s advantage is such that one more race victory could put him out of Norris’ reach. He hasn’t stood on the top step since Spain but he’s protected his cushion commendably in that time.

There could be an extra edge to any on-track encounters between the two drivers before Abu Dhabi. They memorably collided at the Austrian GP in June.

Norris pledged to race Verstappen aggressively but was left ‘laughing’ at those remarks months later. In any future battle, he’ll want to show the reigning champion that he can’t be bullied, but he also knows that a race-ending collision will only serve his rival.