Mexican Grand Prix: McLaren say Verstappen penalties ‘not enough’ for driving Norris off track
World champion Max Verstappen handed 20 seconds in penalties for two incidents during 10th lap of a race won by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz
McLaren team chief Zak Brown praised race stewards for handing Max Verstappen 20 seconds in penalties on Sunday, but said it was “probably not enough” after the three-time world champion finished sixth in the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Verstappen, the series leader but without a win in 10 races since the Spanish Grand Prix in May, was penalised for his over-aggressive driving in two bruising incidents with Norris in the early stages of the race.
In both, he pushed the Briton off the circuit as he had in similar circumstances a week earlier in Austin during the United States Grand Prix. The Dutchman was given one penalty for forcing Norris off the track in an incident at Turn Four on lap 10 and another for leaving the track and gaining an advantage four corners later.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who leaves the team to be replaced by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton next year, won the race ahead of Norris with his teammate Charles Leclerc third in the second Ferrari.
“It’s getting a bit ridiculous,” Brown said. “Enough is enough. Let’s just have some good clean racing moving forwards.”
Norris said he had known “what to expect” even though he didn’t want to because of his respect for “Max as a driver”.
