Formula 1 duel: Escalation in the title fight: “Dangerous” Verstappen

Max Verstappen didn’t spend long with the heavily charged discussion about his momentous no-compromise course. After another setback in the increasingly toxic and tight title fight with Lando Norris, the three-time Formula 1 world champion is much more worried about his own Red Bull car. “When you’re slower, you get into these situations,” explained Verstappen after the Mexican Grand Prix.

It is doubtful that this explanation is enough for his opponent Norris. “The guy is dangerous,” the McLaren driver radioed from the car and later said: “I knew what to expect. That wasn’t clean driving.” McLaren’s managing director Zak Brown added that the time penalties against Verstappen were probably not enough: “It’s getting a bit ridiculous.”

When trying to defend himself against Norris in the race in Mexico City, Verstappen exceeded the limits of what was permitted according to the race stewards and received two ten-second penalties and two points in the offender’s register. “I don’t give up that easily, and in the end it’s not about whether you agree with the punishment or not,” commented Verstappen. After catching up after the penalties, he came from 15th to sixth place, Norris came second behind Carlos Sainz from Spain in another strong Ferrari.

Has Verstappen’s driving style changed?

Verstappen now has 47 more points than Norris – a maximum of 120 points are still up for grabs in the next four Grand Prix. Next weekend alone there will be 34: The next sprint decision is also coming up in Brazil.

Until then, the number one topic will continue to keep Formula 1 at the highest operating temperature since the race in Austin a week ago: Verstappen’s driving style. Even though this probably hasn’t really changed.

The 27-year-old knows no compromises, he is merciless. But he didn’t have to be at the peak of Red Bull’s dominance – due to the lack of competition that could have overtaken him. The question behind it at the moment seems to be: How much overtaking is now possible and allowed in Formula 1 and how you can defend yourself against it.

The fact that drivers push their limits is a characteristic of the sport and, above all, one that has made and continues to make the most successful among them. And this year Verstappen simply has to defend himself more often.

In Spielberg, Norris and he clashed badly, and the friendship that binds them both seemed to be in danger. And then it started again recently in Austin. Norris lost third place to Verstappen with a five-second penalty after he overtook the Dutchman shortly before the end, leaving the track like Verstappen and, in the opinion of the race stewards, gaining an illegal advantage.

Harsh penalties against Verstappen an overreaction?

Not only Norris and McLaren complained, but also other drivers. They demanded clarity from the rule enforcers, but the focus was always on Verstappen, who has now been sanctioned twice in Mexico.

“The harsh penalties were an overreaction after what happened in Austin,” said Red Bull’s motorsport consultant Helmut Marko on the pay channel Sky. “The race stewards’ huge penalty at Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix came on the weekend that Norris, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and other drivers had called on the FIA ​​to tighten rules over Verstappen’s ‘unfair’ driving style,” wrote the British tabloid “The Sun”.

Red Bull’s team boss Christian Horner even presented sheets of data to prove that Norris would not have been able to turn the corner in one of the two controversial scenes. “On the lap with the incident with Max he was 15 km/h faster and later on the brakes than on his fastest lap in the Grand Prix.”

Pérez is no help – on the contrary

In the constructors’ championship, Verstappen and Red Bull were pushed to third place behind McLaren and Ferrari. Thanks to Charles Leclerc’s third place at the Autodrómo Hermanos Rodríguez, Ferrari almost got the maximum points a week after Austin’s double success – the Monegasque also grabbed the point for the fastest race lap. Red Bull’s second driver finished 17th – the next low point for Sergio Pérez. And that too at his home race. When asked, Marko explained that its future is open.

Verstappen will ultimately decide on the sporting well-being of the former industry leader Red Bull, who is in crisis on many fronts this year. “He is in a very strong position in the championship. He is way ahead. He has nothing to lose,” emphasized Norris, who would be much worse off if he were to fail as a pursuer than Verstappen.

This time, the 24-year-old Brit said that in his duels with Verstappen it was just about avoiding an accident and made it clear: “I want to have good, hard fights with him, but fair ones.”