Paddock insider shares why Mexico City Grand Prix driver briefing was unusual amid Max Verstappen fallout

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Max Verstappen and Lando Norris both appear to have moved on from their controversial clashes in Austin. But a week later at the Mexico City Grand Prix, the Formula 1 world has not.

Indeed, McLaren lodged a right of review request ahead of the race weekend. This was rejected by last weekend’s stewards, who felt they couldn’t provide new and compelling evidence.

Zak Brown was bidding to get Norris’ five-second penalty, which dropped him from third to fourth behind his title rival, overturned. Ultimately, Verstappen remains 57 points clear.

Verstappen left the track at turn one as he tried to pass Norris on the inside, opening the door for eventual winner Charles Leclerc and prompting complaints from the Englishman, who’d also been forced wide. The stewards are more lenient with lap-one incidents, so there was no real prospect of a penalty.

However, they punished Norris in the closing stages after he overtook Verstappen outside the bounds of the track and failed to give the place back. The 27-year-old also ran wide as he tried to defend the position.

While the matter is now settled, the significance of the incidents extends beyond the current championship picture. They could lead to changes in F1’s racing rules.

Alex Kalinauckas shares what was different about Mexican Grand Prix drivers’ briefing

Speaking from the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez paddock on the Autosport YouTube channel, journalist Alex Kalinauckas shared his observations on the F1 drivers’ briefing. The competitors meet with the FIA every Friday after practice.

This gives them the chance to review disputes from the previous race, and also raise any concerns about the ongoing weekend. The Verstappen/Norris debate was likely at the top of the agenda.

Some are once again questioning whether the stewarding is consistent. George Russell received a penalty for forcing Valtteri Bottas off the track in an incident that was strikingly similar to what happened on lap 52.

Kalinauckas says the briefing ran much longer than usual, possibly because the drivers were discussing whether the rules were fair. This perhaps contributed to the six-hour delay in McLaren’s right-of-review verdict.

“They also had to do a very long drivers’ meeting post-FP2 and I know that because it happened in the press conference just outside the media centre,” Kalinauckas said. “I wonder why! It’s almost like there were several contentious overtaking manoeuvres that they had to discuss with the drivers.”

What Karun Chandhok noticed in brand new camera angle from Max Verstappen and Lando Norris incident

Brown wants the sport to restore its approach from the 1980s or 1990s. He feels drivers should be allowed to ‘settle their differences’ on track’.

However, Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle shut down Brown’s suggestion. He pointed out that racers had to police themselves back then because going off track could lead to serious injury, or worse.

In Mexico, broadcasters got access to a brand-new camera angle from the Verstappen and Norris incident. For Karun Chandhok, it was clear that Verstappen is ‘acutely aware’ of the guidelines.