Stewards’ call about Norris-Verstappen fight ‘inappropriate’

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has strongly criticized US Grand Prix stewards for what he said was their “inappropriate” intervention and the subsequent punishment imposed on Lando Norris after his battle with championship leader Max Verstappen.

Norris and Verstappen were involved in an exciting battle for third place in the closing stages of the race, with both drivers pushing the limits of their car.

On lap 45, Norris attempted to overtake Verstappen on the outside of COTA’s Turn 1, with both drivers running wide and leaving the circuit.

Despite Norris taking the lead on track, the stewards later determined he had gained an unfair advantage, resulting in a five-second penalty that dropped the McLaren driver to fourth in the final standings.

A very unhappy Stella argued that the stewards had mishandled the situation, claiming that both drivers had left the track and therefore both gained an advantage.

“My opinion is that the way the stewards interfered with this beautiful piece of motorsport was inappropriate, as both cars went off the track,” Stella said. Sky F1.

“So both cars have gained an advantage. It’s a shame, because it costs us a podium. It will cost us a race in which we have to remain patient. After we were pushed away on the first lap, the first corner, we accepted it.

“That said, our position is very clear: these types of decisions by the stewards cannot be appealed. The chapter is now closed for us and we move on to the next race.”

Stella further explained that McLaren had “double-checked” the incident and was confident that Norris had acted correctly, forcing the team not to order Norris to hand back the position.

“There was no doubt in our minds that the maneuver was correct,” he said.

Reflecting on the penalty, Norris pointed to the time it took the stewards to make their decision as evidence it was borderline.

He also noted Verstappen’s aggressive action on the first lap, with the Dutchman going off track but not being penalized.

“It is impossible to know (if the team that asked him to give back the place would have succeeded), obviously the stewards can only make their decision for a few laps, so it is not an easy decision, otherwise it would be a little earlier,” Norris said Sky F1.

“I tried. He also went off the track, a few meters off the track, so he clearly went in too fast and also got an advantage by doing what he did. But I don’t make the rules.”

“I have to look at the start again. I was quite tight, of course Max went for a tight gap. From the car it is obviously harder to say about some things and also easier to say about some things.

“He obviously committed a lot, which he has the right to do, but again, he went completely off track, so I have to look back at it.

“He defends by going off the track, he overtakes by going off the track.”

Although critical of the stewards’ decision, Norris acknowledged the quality of the race between Verstappen and himself.

“I’m not going to complain. Max rode well and defended well, we had a good race together. But the rules are the rules,” he concluded.

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