Peter Windsor describes what was ‘unbelievable’ about Max Verstappen in US GP

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Max Verstappen showcased his no-compromise approach to defensive driving when battling for the final podium spot with Lando Norris during the United States Grand Prix.

The Dutchman used every inch of the track to keep his title rival behind, but Norris pulled off a move around the outside of Turn 12 and the pair ran off the circuit.

As Norris ran off he continued to accelerate and took the position off Verstappen, however the stewards deemed that he left the track and gained an advantage and hended him a five-second time penalty.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella felt it was ‘inappropriate’ for the stewards to investigate their on-track conduct, while Karun Chandhok has suggested a new rule that could prevent the move made by Verstappen.

Peter Windsor has praised Verstappen for his defensive driving in the build-up to the incident at Turn 12, having noted how it showcased his ability to position his Red Bull perfectly when speaking on the Cameron CC podcast.

Peter Windsor points out Max Verstappen’s ‘unbelievable peripheral vision’

As Norris piled the pressure on Verstappen, the Dutchman seemingly produced one of his best defensive drives as he reacted to the McLaren.

It was a far cry from their scrappy battle in Austria, whereby Verstappen had moved under the braking zones in a bid to keep Norris behind. Windsor pointed out one trait that enabled Verstappen to keep his title rival at bay.

“He’s fighting for third place as if it’s for the championship on the last lap. That gave us a great insight into the heart and soul Max Verstappen. It wasn’t anything to do with what we saw in 2021, this was unbelievably clean driving by Max,” said Windsor.

“Prior to the incident at Turn 12, he was superb in a car that was losing grip. I only seen him lock up once, but the rest of it he positioned the car perfectly. He’s got unbelievable peripheral vision, the minute Lando moves, Max has got him covered.”

McLaren think Verstappen is ‘gaming’ the rules in Lando Norris battle

McLaren firmly believes that Verstappen was ‘gaming’ the rulebook in his battle with Norris and want to see changes to the driving standards guidelines.

The latest version of the driving standards guidelines used by FIA stewards is not in the public domain, but it was one of the deciding factors that led to Norris’ penalty.

READ MORE: McLaren and Red Bull championship battle now hinges on three unexpected talking points

The stewards felt Verstappen had the right to the corner because he was ahead at the apex, but acknowledged that Norris was forced off which is why they reduced his penalty from the usual 10-second tariff to five-seconds.

Toto Wolff accused the US GP stewards of being biased when they handed George Russell a five-second time penalty for forcing Valtteri Bottas off track, in what he felt was a less severe move.