F1 news LIVE: Race results and standings as Lando Norris reacts angrily after penalty at US Grand Prix
F1 reaction after Norris was penalised for an overtake on Max Verstappen at the end of the race in Austin
Lando Norris’ F1 championship hopes were dealt a hammer blow after he was handed a controversial five-second penalty to finish behind rival Max Verstappen following a compelling US Grand Prix.
As Charles Leclerc raced to an impressive win at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, pole man Norris was only fourth – one place behind Verstappen – to leave him 57 points adrift in the title race with only 146 points to play for across the concluding five rounds. Carlos Sainz took second to complete a Ferrari one-two.
Norris spent the final dozen laps crawling all over Verstappen’s gearbox in a thrilling conclusion, and he eventually made the move stick on the 52nd lap.
However, the stewards quickly launched an investigation into the pass, and Norris was adjudged to have run off the track. Norris was penalised, and although he crossed the line in third, four seconds ahead of Verstappen, his sanction dropped him back, in what could prove a pivotal decision in his championship quest.
Follow live reaction from the United States Grand Prix with The Independent
Driver Standings after US GP
1. Max Verstappen - 354 points
2. Lando Norris - 297 points
3. Charles Leclerc - 275 points
4. Oscar Piastri - 247 points
5. Carlos Sainz - 215 points
6. Lewis Hamilton - 177 points
7. George Russell - 167 points
8. Sergio Perez - 150 points
9. Fernando Alonso - 62 points
10. Nico Hulkenberg - 29 points
11. Lance Stroll - 24 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda - 22 points
13. Alex Albon - 12 points
14. Daniel Ricciardo - 12 points
15. Kevin Magnussen - 8 points
16. Pierre Gasly - 8 points
17. Ollie Bearman - 7 points
18. Esteban Ocon - 5 points
19. Franco Colapinto - 5 points
20. Liam Lawson - 2 points
21. Zhou Guanyu - 0 points
22. Logan Sargeant - 0 points
23. Valtteri Bottas - 0 points
Lando Norris reacts post-race to his penalty:
“I tried, he also went off the track, if he goes off the track he goes in too hard [at turn one at the start] and gains an advantage. But I don’t make the rules.
“Max went for a tight gap. From inside the car, it’s easier and harder to say at times, Max committed quite a bit. I don’t know, I need to look back. He’s overtaken by going off track [at the start]
“He defends off track, overtakes off track. Max raced well, we had a good race - the rules are the rules.”
TOP-10 AT THE US GRAND PRIX:
1. Charles Leclerc
2. Carlos Sainz
3. Max Verstappen
4. Lando Norris
5. Oscar Piastri
6. George Russell
7. Sergio Perez
8. Nico Hulkenberg
9. Liam Lawson
10. Franco Colapinto
‘Complaining a lot lately’: Max Verstappen responds to McLaren
In the build-up to Sunday’s race, McLaren CEO Zak Brown said he still believes Red Bull has a case to answer about the discovery of a contentious device which it has been claimed allows them to adjust the setup of the car between qualifying and the race – something that is not prohibited in the sport’s rules.
Red Bull have admitted the device exists but said it is inaccessible when the car is built. They have agreed to make changes to their car and F1’s governing body, the FIA have since said the case is closed.
Responding to Stella’s comments, Verstappen said: “They complain a lot lately. But it is very clear and it is in the rules. If you are outside the white line you cannot pass and I’ve been penalised for that in the past, too.”
What does Lando Norris need now to overhaul Max Verstappen?
Lando Norris faces an uphill battle as he seeks to deny Formula 1 title rival Max Verstappen a fourth consecutive world title.
Norris lost ground in the race for the Drivers’ Championship at the US Grand Prix in Austin as a penalty cost McLaren a podium.
The British driver was sanctioned by the race stewards after a late passing move on Verstappen, with a five-second penalty dropping him below the Dutchman and out of third place.
Norris had begun on pole but dropped down the field as Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz secured a Ferrari one-two, and admitted afterwards that finishing behind Verstappen was a blow to his world title hopes.
What does Lando Norris need now to overhaul Max Verstappen?
The McLaren driver is hoping to deny his Red Bull rival a fourth straight world title
Max Verstappen hits back at McLaren after US Grand Prix penalty
Max Verstappen has hit back at McLaren F1’s criticism of his defensive tactics in Sunday’s US Grand Prix by accusing the British team of “complaining a lot lately”.
Verstappen extended his title lead over Lando Norris to 57 points after the McLaren man was demoted to fourth – one place behind Verstappen – following a five-second penalty for passing his championship rival off the track in the closing stages.
Norris accused the stewards of rushing their decision and said Verstappen’s aggressive move to defend his third place left him with nowhere to go.
Max Verstappen hits back at McLaren after US Grand Prix complaints
The Dutchman was able to edge further ahead of Lando Norris in the title race.
McLaren rage at ‘inappropriate’ Lando Norris penalty
Max Verstappen, straight after the race, stated: “It was a tough battle, to be on the podium is a good result. I have my opinion but I don’t need to say it here, I’ll let the stewards do their thing.”
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, however, insisted the stewards were “inappropriate” for getting involved at all.
“The way the stewards interfered with a beautiful piece of motorsport was inappropriate,” he told Sky Sports F1. “It cost us a podium, we stayed patient and were pushed off in first corner. This kind of decision from the stewards, it can’t be appealed, we move on to the next race.
“We double-checked that both cars went off track, so there was no doubt that the manoeuvre was correct.”
McLaren fume at ‘inappropriate’ F1 bosses after Norris vs Verstappen battle
McLaren have angrily hit out at F1 bosses for what they believe was “inappropriate” interference in the gripping battle between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen at the US Grand Prix that cost their driver a podium place.
Amid an increasingly exciting fight for the F1 Drivers’ Championship title, Norris – who arrived in Austin trailing Verstappen by 52 points in the season standings – was competing with his rival for third place in the final laps of a race that saw Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainx take a one-two.
Norris thought he had got the job done with four laps remaining when he moved ahead of Verstappen at Turn 12. However, the stewards handed him a five-second penalty on the final lap after they felt the Brit gained an advantage by running off the track to complete the move, demoting him to fourth, behind Verstappen, after the chequered flag fell.
Explaining their decision, the four-man stewarding panel said Norris lost the “right” to the corner because he was not level with Verstappen at the apex. However, they acknowledged that Norris had little choice other than to leave the circuit because Verstappen also ran over the white lines.
McLaren fume at ‘inappropriate’ F1 bosses after Norris vs Verstappen battle
Lando Norris was controversially given a five-second penalty for illegally overtaking Max Verstappen at the US Grand Prix that saw him demoted from third to fourth
Red Bull boss Christian Horner:
On Norris-Verstappen incident: “The rules are pretty clear, both clearly off the circuit. You can’t overtake.
“At the end of the day, the rules are the rules - the drivers know that. That’s illegal, Max was straight on the radio. There was a whole bunch of things going on at the time.
“It’s tough when you’re on the receiving end of it, the drivers spend hours talking about this. They come to a conclusion of the laws and they all know what they are.”
Lando Norris speaks post-race about his penalty:
Asked if he understood the stewards’ verdict, Norris replied: “No, not really. The point where it is incorrect is what Max did, which was also to defend his position by going off the track and keeping the position.
“He went off the track because he over-defended and he made a mistake but he has gained from that. I had to go off to avoid him. With Max, you’ve got to commit, you cannot go half-hearted and people don’t understand that kind of thing.
“It is impossible to know if I could have stayed on the track (without that). Therefore, you cannot steward that kind of thing. It is just a rushed decision and they don’t hear or understand our points which they should do after the race. They just want to make a decision at the time.
“And you can’t appeal this kind of penalty which is again a silly thing because they are just guessing and I don’t think that is how stewarding should be done.”
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