Sam Bird ‘agrees’ with Lando Norris about Max Verstappen battle in Mexico City Grand Prix

Follow us on Google Discover

Lando Norris has gained an ally in Sam Bird after the McLaren driver’s comments on his fight against title rival Max Verstappen of Red Bull in the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Round 20 of the record-breaking 24 in the 2024 Formula 1 calendar yielded yet more drama in the championship fight. Norris now trails Verstappen by 47 points with four races and two Sprints to go. But a strong race by Ferrari let them close on McLaren in the team’s standings.

The Scuderia are now the Woking crew’s nearest challenger after Carlos Sainz won the 2024 Mexico City GP by 4.705 seconds to Norris. Ferrari now sit above Red Bull with 537 points in the constructors’ championship to the Milton Keynes natives’ 512 to chase McLaren on 566.

Sam Bird agrees with Lando Norris that Max Verstappen was ‘too extreme’ in the Mexican GP

A controversial overtake saw Verstappen steal the lead of the Mexico City GP from Sainz into Turn 1 at the start of the race. But the pole-sitting Spaniard recovered to reclaim P1 on Lap 9 of 71. The 30-year-old made light work of passing the 27-year-old with the benefit of DRS.

Verstappen falling behind Sainz also encouraged Norris to hunt his title rival on the next lap of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. But despite the 24-year-old winning the apex at T4, the Dutchman drove Norris off the road and Verstappen received a 10-second time penalty.

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

Norris refused to give the place back to Verstappen, having won the corner before being put in the run-off. So, the Red Bull racer showed his petulance by divebombing the McLaren ace at Turn 7 and taking them both off the road, with Verstappen never set to stay on the circuit.

The stewards slapped Verstappen with another 10-second time penalty for forcing Norris off at Turn 7 in the Mexico City GP. Bird firmly agreed with their decision to punish the Red Bull driver for both incidents, with the McLaren Formula E pilot appalled by Verstappen’s driving.

“I agree with Lando that was too extreme,” Bird said on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra. “We are on the edge of our seats here but that was really, really extreme.

“The drivers had a meeting about this exact thing. You can’t just run another driver off the circuit like Max has done there twice.”

What did Lando Norris say about Max Verstappen’s driving in the Mexico City GP?

Like Bird, Norris was disgusted by Verstappen’s driving in the Mexico City GP after having to take avoiding action at Turn 4 and T7 on Lap 10. The McLaren driver was hastily on his team radio to call his rival’s antics into question whilst the stewards reviewed their two incidents.

“This guy is dangerous,” Norris stated. “I just had to avoid a crash. It’s the same as last time. I’ll end up in the wall in a minute.”

It marked the second weekend in a row where Verstappen flirted with the rules when racing Norris after their controversial fights in the United States Grand Prix. But unlike at the Circuit of the Americas where the Dutchman got away with his antics, it cost him big in Mexico City.

Verstappen forced Norris off the road at the start of the US Grand Prix, which sent the Briton from pole position to P4 at Turn 1. The Dutchman also put the Briton off the track at Turn 12 on Lap 52 when the stewards gave Norris a five-second penalty for overtaking off the circuit.