Max Verstappen and Lando Norris are battling to become world champion. In Austin, the pair clashed, and Norris took the penalty. However, in Mexico, the pair clashed twice on lap 10 and it was Verstappen who was penalized on both occasions. The resulting penalties were much harsher.
The stewards in Mexico were making a point through Verstappen. They are expecting racing to become a lot cleaner, rather than forcing other drivers off the track. Mercedes AMG Petronas CEO believes that the harsher penalties for Max could change how everyone races.
Toto Wolff believes Max Verstappen’s penalties will lead to cleaner racing
Verstappen’s defending tactics in Austin of having to get to the apex of the corner were punished when he tried the same technique in Mexico. This pleased Wolff, who had previous experience of the Dutchman’s defending when Lewis Hamilton was fighting the three-time world champion.
The Austrian CEO believes all drivers will now change their approach. He said: “A driver will always push to the limit and when the rules – or the interpretation of the rules – allow a certain way of racing, a driver like Max is always going to exploit it.”
🚨 | The FIA has corrected Max Verstappen’s 10 second penalty for forcing another driver off the track.
He now also gets 2 penalty points added to his license (which brings him to a total of 6 over a 12 month period).#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/K6GvMP1Zq1
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) October 27, 2024
“Everybody’s trying to push that and, if you get away with things, that is the new limit. So will it change? Absolutely. I think now there is precedent.”
“From now on, you’ve got to leave space on the outside of the corner if the car is next to you. Braking late and dragging the other car out of the track whilst also driving off track – I think that’s not on anymore. That’s not allowed and I think it’s good for racing.”
The hope is that these penalties will promote cleaner racing. The driver can’t afford to lose positions through penalties for racing too hard. However, with so much on the line, up and down the grid, will the drivers still race hard or become less aggressive?
How will Max Verstappen’s penalties shape the championship?
Red Bull currently has the third-fastest car. To help Max win the championship, he will more than likely have to race Norris to secure the title. These penalties set the precedent that they must both attack and defend cleanly. No driver can overtake off the track or push another driver off.
Verstappen’s mentality might need to change for the remaining races and pull back on some of the aggressive moves. However, with a seemingly slower car, the Dutchman might feel he can’t reign it in. Max needs to make sure Norris doesn’t beat him. Or if he does, not by a substantial margin. Meaning he can’t let Norris win the race.
Lando Norris on his battle with Max Verstappen during today’s race:
“I knew what to expect. I didn’t want to expect such a thing, because I respect Max a lot as a driver, but I was ready to expect something like this.”
“This is not very clean driving in my opinion, but I…
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) October 27, 2024
In Mexico, without the two incidents, Norris looked as if he had the pace of the Ferrari’s and possibly could have won. He would most likely have outscored Verstappen by more. So, like in Austria where the pair collided, it was Max who truly benefited. A change in approach could cost Max his fourth consecutive title, so will he change?
