Lewis Hamilton ‘sure’ on simple fix to stop Max Verstappen ‘getting away’ with key issue

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Lewis Hamilton has made his view clear on the penalty row Formula 1 has faced from the fallout of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris’ fight at the United States Grand Prix.

The title rivals tussled in two of the most defining moments from the race in Austin last time out. In both instances, Verstappen fully pushed the boundaries of what F1 and the FIA allow within the existing racing guidelines to ensure Norris did not eat into his championship lead.

Yet, despite Verstappen pushing the limits, it was Norris who left the US Grand Prix receiving a penalty. The stewards felt the McLaren racer overtook his Red Bull rival off the track to put himself in third place on Lap 52 of 56, so slapped the Briton with a five-second time penalty.

Lewis Hamilton thinks Max Verstappen shouldn’t get away with exploiting F1’s rules

Norris’ penalty promoted Verstappen back into P3 for the US Grand Prix and even gifted the Dutchman a six-point swing to lead by 57 points with five rounds to go. For Norris to win his first title, he must now outscore the three-time reigning champion by 11.4 points per round.

The picture heading into the Mexico City Grand Prix this weekend may have been marginally more positive for Norris had the stewards also penalised Verstappen for his driving in the US Grand Prix. Twice at COTA the 27-year-old ran his 24-year-old rival off the road in key duels.

Verstappen first forced Norris off at Turn 1 on the opening lap of the US Grand Prix and kept the position as the Briton fell from pole position to P4. The Dutchman also drove the Briton off the road in their L52 fight after refusing to accept Norris had passed him before Turn 12.

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

Norris completed an easy overtake on Verstappen using DRS on the Circuit of the Americas’ straight. But Hamilton thinks Verstappen deceived the stewards by exploiting the ‘grey area’ F1 and the FIA left in the racing guidelines by lunging Norris and failing to stay on the circuit.

“It’s always been a grey area that’s why he’s got away with it for so long,” he said, via RACER. “They probably need to make some adjustments, for sure. Also, we have inconsistencies through rulings weekend-in, weekend-out obviously depending on which year it is.

“As a sport, we do need to level up on all areas. And if you look at other global sports, they have full-time refs, for example, and I’m sure that wouldn’t be a bad thing for our sport.

“But I experienced it many times with Max. You shouldn’t be able to just launch the car on the inside and be ahead and then you go off and still hold your position. So, they need to definitely work on this.”

Lewis Hamilton suggests the FIA hires full-time stewards for consistent decisions

Hamilton knows all too well the lengths Verstappen will go to in the Red Bull driver’s refusal to accept being overtaken following their titanic title fight in 2021. It has also been a theme of Verstappen’s Formula 1 career that he will push the limits whenever it is possible to defend.

Having the simple fix that Hamilton suggests by the FIA employing full-time stewards, rather than the rotating policy the governing body currently employs, could help to at least remove the inconsistencies in the verdicts. But there were also inconsistencies in the US Grand Prix.

READ MORE: The five worst moments of Lewis Hamilton’s career in Formula 1

While Verstappen twice avoided a penalty for forcing Norris off the circuit at COTA, the race stewards slapped George Russell with a five-second time penalty over forcing Valtteri Bottas off at Turn 12 – despite the Mercedes driver staying on the circuit to complete the overtake.

Verstappen got away with similar incidents through his title fight with Hamilton in 2021, too. The Dutchman forced Hamilton off the road at Turn 2 of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and the kerbs damaged his front wing. Verstappen also divebombed and risked contact in Spain.