Why Max Verstappen’s Mexico City Grand Prix penalty was more severe than Lando Norris’s at the US GP

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Max Verstappen’s driving was at the centre of controversy yet again during the Mexican Grand Prix when the Red Bull driver pulled off an aggressive defensive move on Lando Norris.

Norris was battling for second place with Verstappen in the opening stages of the race when he attempted to overtake around the outside at Turn 4.

The Red Bull driver held the inside line while Norris went around the outside. But as the McLaren’s front axle was alongside his, the Briton was entitled to racing room.

Verstappen instead went deep into the corner and effectively forced Norris off, causing him to take to the escape road and rejoin ahead of the Dutchman.

After handing the position he took from Carlos Sainz, Verstappen dived down the inside of Norris at Turn 8 and forced both cars off the track, causing them to concede position to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

The stewards investigated both incidents and judged Verstappen to be at fault for both, handing him two 10-second time penalties which amounted to 20 seconds at his first pit stop.

The penalty for the incident at Turn 8 was double what Norris received in Austin, but there was a reason why the stewards awarded it.

Why Max Verstappen received a harsher penalty for doing the same as Lando Norris

Norris was deemed to have left the track and gained an advantage when he overtook Verstappen at Turn 12 in the closing stages of the United States GP.

This ultimately led to a five-second time penalty that dropped Norris behind Verstappen at the flag. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said that it was ‘inappropriate’ for the stewards to get involved, as the two title rivals battled for the final podium.

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In the official FIA stewards ruling document for Norris, they noted that they imposed the five-second time penalty rather than the usual 10 seconds because of a discrepancy in the overtaking move.

“A five-second penalty is imposed instead of the 10-second penalty recommended in the guidelines because having committed to the overtaking move on the outside the driver of Car 4 [Norris] had little alternative other than to leave the track because of the proximity of Car 1 [Verstappen] which had also left the track,” said the stewards.

Martin Brundle left furious with ‘ridiculous’ Max Verstappen move

Watching the replay of the move on Norris at Turn 8, Martin Brundle was left less than impressed by the Verstappen’s conduct.

Norris exclaimed that he felt Verstappen’s move was ‘dangerous’ over team radio, while Brundle said it was ‘ridiculous’ because of the nature of the move.

Verstappen’s driving has come under the spotlight on numerous occasions in the past, but now it appears he is pushing the limits in the close Drivers’ Championship battle with Norris.

The 20-second time penalty forced him into a recovery drive, with him ending up in sixth place and 11 seconds off Mercedes’ George Russell.