Lando Norris ‘underestimated’ Max Verstappen in costly way in US Grand Prix for Jolyon Palmer

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Lando Norris now trails Max Verstappen by 57 points in the 2024 Formula 1 drivers’ championship fight, and Jolyon Palmer feels the McLaren ace has himself to blame.

The Briton had the perfect chance to eat into the deficit after beating the Dutchman for pole position in Austin. But Norris failed to turn pole into a Grand Prix win for the fourth time this season. He has only won having started from P1 at the Dutch and the Singapore Grands Prix.

Red Bull appeared to give Verstappen a faster car than McLaren gave Norris in qualifying for the US Grand Prix. But George Russell crashing in Q3 cost the three-time reigning champion a chance to improve his provisional lap time, with Norris doing enough with his initial effort.

Lando Norris ‘underestimated’ Max Verstappen’s desire to beat his F1 title rival

Yet Norris failed to hold onto the lead of the US Grand Prix as Verstappen dove up the inside into Turn 1 after the Briton elected against fully covering the first corner. The McLaren driver had his Red Bull rival covered off the line but left the door open for Verstappen to try a dive.

Former Renault driver Palmer feels Norris will be kicking himself after leaving the door open for Verstappen as it ultimately cost him the win at the US Grand Prix. The Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz both snuck past Norris after Verstappen ran them both off the road.

Leclerc even jumped from P4 into the lead of the US Grand Prix and ran away with it to win. But the race may have played out slightly differently if Norris had not ‘underestimated’ how much Verstappen would risk at the start of the US Grand Prix to try and thwart his title rival.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration

“It seemed Norris underestimated Verstappen’s desire to lead as he left the gap and the Red Bull racer pounced,” Palmer told the official Formula 1 website. “Most drivers wouldn’t have fought so hard and so riskily for the lead were they in Max’s shoes.

“But with the championship on the line and Max knowing that this was an opportunity to beat the McLaren, he took a risk and lunged in, fully committed from the white line on the inside.

“In hindsight, Norris should have covered this better and he lived to regret it for the rest of the race. But, actually, as Lando pointed out on the radio after the turn, Max ended up going all four wheels off on the exit to complete the move.”

Max Verstappen was ‘lucky’ to get away with forcing Lando Norris off at Turn 1 at COTA

Palmer also feels Verstappen was ‘lucky’ to avoid a penalty for forcing Norris off the circuit to complete the Red Bull driver’s pass at the start of the US Grand Prix. While the McLaren racer left the door open, the Dutchman carried too much speed and forced them both off.

“He couldn’t manage to brake that late, get the car stopped and turned [in] and stay on the track thus, in theory, overtaking off the circuit,” Palmer added.

READ MORE: The five worst moments of Max Verstappen’s career in Formula 1

“This was a move that was less egregious but, ultimately, similar to what he was penalised for in Las Vegas last year, and he was lucky to get away with it in Austin.

“The move allowed Leclerc through to take the lead and eventually win, but it gave Verstappen crucial track position over the man he most wanted to beat.”

The stewards deciding against penalising Verstappen for forcing Norris off the circuit at the start of the US Grand Prix was only one verdict that would have irked the McLaren driver in his battle with the Red Bull ace. It is also fair for Norris to question their decision on Lap 52.

While Norris received a controversial penalty for overtaking Verstappen off the circuit in the US Grand Prix, the McLaren driver was only off the road as his Red Bull rival failed to stay on the track again. Norris had fairly completed an overtake but Verstappen refused to accept it.

DRS meant Norris breezed past Verstappen on the long back straight, so the Red Bull driver eased off his brake to force them both off. Had Verstappen stayed within the track limits at Turn 12, there would have been zero doubt Norris was in the wrong but it was not the case.