FIA has informed the F1 fraternity that they would be making amends to the rules over ‘dangerous driving’ moving forward. This came after Max Verstappen went over the limits twice to defend his position against Lando Norris in two consecutive races.
The first instance was in Austin two weeks ago, where Verstappen escaped punishment for slightly crossing the limits. However, at the Mexican GP last weekend, the FIA did not grant him the benefit of the doubt, imposing a 20-second penalty for pushing Norris off the track and gaining a position outside the track limits.
According to George Russell, the GDPA President, 19 of the 20 drivers demanded reforms to the rules of racing.
While Verstappen may not have openly opposed this resolution, he stated in the post-race interview that his driving style would not change, regardless of what the FIA decided to implement.
Extraordinary scenes in Christian Horner’s media session.
He brought out telemetry of Lando Norris’s fastest lap at Turn 4 versus the lap of his clash with Max Verstappen to argue that Norris was never going to make the corner and Verstappen’s penalty was unfair.
— The Race (@wearetherace) October 27, 2024
“Maybe get a drink at pitstop,” said Verstappen when asked if he’d do anything different. But Sam Bird, McLaren’s Formula E driver, suggested, “Stewards have made their minds on how they are going to police the racing going forward.”
“He might need to adapt it slightly in regards to his defensive driving style against the likes of Norris,” Bird added.
He also clarified that he was not hating on Verstappen. In fact, he believes the Red Bull driver is the fastest on the track. However, he expressed that Verstappen’s frustration is evident during his defensive maneuvers.
Verstappen thinks he has bigger concerns
Verstappen didn’t say much about the penalties he received in Mexico. He preferred not to dwell on them, believing he couldn’t change the outcome. Instead, he focused on the bigger concern in his mind: the performance of the RB20.
Verstappen pointed out that he couldn’t attack at all and couldn’t do any better than P6. Meanwhile, Ferrari, thanks to Carlos Sainz’s win and Charles Leclerc’s P3 finish, achieved an impressive 41-point haul to move ahead of Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship standings.
The Dutchman isn’t wrong; Red Bull was even slower than Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas during the hard tire stint, which should certainly raise alarm bells in Milton Keynes.
With only four races left, Verstappen remains the frontrunner to secure his fourth title. However, there are concerns for 2025 when the competition resets, and Red Bull may struggle against their rivals.
