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Lando Norris shared that he hasn’t discussed or debriefed his wheel-to-wheel battle with Max Verstappen from the 2024 USGP. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, ahead of the 2024 Mexican GP, the McLaren driver reflected on the exciting battle.While he enjoyed the experience, Norris acknowledged that there is a need for a more aggressive approach in the future.
Verstappen ultimately prevailed in their on-track duel and Norris found himself struggling against the Dutchman’s aggressive defense. He admitted that moving forward, he may need to adopt a more assertive strategy to compete with the reigning champion, especially considering his position in the championship. While he enjoyed the battle, Norris acknowledged that both drivers acted on instinct in the heat of the moment. However, he emphasized that his primary objective is to beat the title leader at every race, which may necessitate a shift in tactics.
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Verstappen's aggressive defensive maneuvers during the USGP forced Norris off the track, resulting in the Briton overtaking outside the white lines. While the driver on the inside can usually be penalized for forcing an opponent off-track, Norris received a five-second penalty for completing the pass off-track and failing to give back the position.
Asked by Sportskeeda if he had debriefed the incident with Verstappen and if he planned to take a more aggressive approach, Norris said:
“No, I have not spoken to Max at all, because he did what I guess he thought was right, I did what I thought was right. I still disagree and I think as a team we still disagree. I think a majority of people who were watching disagreed with the penalty that I got. But I'll make the changes that I need to make, whether it's being more aggressive at times or less aggressive or whatever. I'll do what I think is right.”
Asked if it would take more aggression from his end to counter the Dutchman given his position in the championship, he said:
“It's not an easy answer honestly, it's not as simple as just saying yes. Do I need to make some changes? Yes and still adapt a little bit more. But is everything I'm doing wrong? it's a no. So it's a tough position to be in, because like we saw Max didn't care. If he won or a second or third his only job was to beat me and he did that, so he did a good job for that side and I had a lot of fun and I respected our battle that we had. But yeah, he still ended up on top and I need to be beating him, you know. So, some little things I need to change but I didn't really change my whole approach.”
Lando Norris reckons the stewarding from the USGP will be a point of discussion at the drivers’ meeting in Mexico
Lando Norris acknowledged that the inconsistencies in stewarding have been a major talking point following the USGP in Austin and leading up to the Mexican GP. He believes the issue will be addressed in the drivers’ meeting in Mexico. Referring to his incident with Max Verstappen, Norris noted that in similar situations, such as the clash between George Russell and Valtteri Bottas, the driver on the inside was penalized for forcing the other off-track. However, in his case, despite being on the outside, he was the one who received a penalty, which ultimately cost him a podium finish.
The 24-year-old McLaren driver mentioned that many drivers and teams disagreed with the penalty, highlighting the inconsistency in the FIA stewards’ decisions. As a result, he expects the matter to be a key subject of discussion during the drivers’ meeting in Mexico.
“I think what we saw with George's and Bottas's version in some ways was very similar to ours. I was completely ahead of I was over a car length ahead of him, so I was no longer the attacking car he was. I was the head of Max, so I wasn't having to defend. He was the one attacking me and effectively he's gone in too hard and overtaken off the track. I've just maintained my position. It's something I'm sure we'll discuss because it's been a big talking point. It’s been the main talking point since last weekend, Not just for us, but for everyone. A lot of other drivers didn't agree with it, teams didn't agree with it, but at the same time we're in Mexico and I have to focus on this weekend,” Norris said.
With both drivers being title contenders, McLaren’s Andrea Stella felt that the stewards acted too hastily in terms of their decision-making and should have investigated the incident after the race. Stella emphasized that McLaren had a different interpretation of the incident and disagreed with the penalty given to Norris.
Following Norris's comments to the media, McLaren filed a 'Right of Review' on Thursday, presenting new evidence related to the incident. Red Bull has been summoned to the stewards, and the outcome of the review could potentially impact the race result.
This Right of Review was filed despite Stella categorically denying plans to appeal when questioned by Sportskeeda after the USGP. Historically, such appeals have not had a high success rate, but the FIA is currently investigating the matter, with a decision expected ahead of qualifying and the race.
McLaren leads the constructor's championship by 40 points, and Lando Norris trails Verstappen by 57 points. A decision in favor of the Woking team could significantly impact the championship points ahead of the Mexican GP.
