Рубрика: Autosport News

Vowles reveals «multi-million» dollar reason behind Sargeant/Colapinto switch

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Williams team principal James Vowles has explained that the developmental impact of incidents was behind the decision to swap Logan Sargeant for Franco Colapinto this year.

Sargeant was granted a second season with the Grove-based outfit and, while showing flashes of speed in the first half of the campaign, a number of incidents — including at his final event at Zandvoort — proved costly and saw him dropped from the team.

Colapinto has impressed since taking over, scoring points again at the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, though he currently doesn’t have a race seat for next year with Carlos Sainz already confirmed to be joining Alex Albon.

Speaking on the latest James Allen on F1 podcast, Vowles revealed the «multi-million» dollar reasoning behind making the switch.

«Have a look towards teams moving towards experienced drivers over the last few years, rather than perhaps the rookie base. Obviously, within Williams, we had Logan in the car, more the rookie base but that’s changed in 25,» he said.

«Part of the reason, the drive behind that is that the learning cycle required for any of these individuals to be successful on this world stage, amongst peers, they will make mistakes.

Logan Sargeant, Williams FW46, jumps out of his car after a crash

Logan Sargeant, Williams FW46, jumps out of his car after a crash

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

«But a mistake could be costly. Some of ours this year are multi-million, as simple as that, and your multi-million now goes into just replenishing stock of what you had, rather than building future updates and so it’s a finite pool available to you.

«I think you’re going to see… you have seen a lot of investment in that. There’s other ways that we’re moving forward, and in my DNA and Williams’s DNA is investing in future generations, both within graduates for employing and early careers but also in drivers.

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«As you’ll know, that was really [in] my heart for many, many years and remains there, and it’s why when we came to the end of the road with Logan, it was Franco we put in the car, to make sure that we continued investment in our academy programme, which I think has great success and I hope the world can see the future success it contains.

«A statistic I saw last year was that Max had no accidents, no real substantive crash damage. I’m not sure if that’s entirely correct, or maybe part way through the year I watched it, but that’s millions that you can now put into the developments that others wouldn’t have. So it is about being fast and efficient but keeping as much on the table as possible.»

You can listen to the latest podcast episode here:

 



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Lawson’s «mega» Austin return to push Tsunoda to higher level, says RB

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Liam Lawson’s impressive Formula 1 return at the United States Grand Prix will force Yuki Tsunoda to step up another gear, says RB team boss Laurent Mekies.

Lawson was brought back for the final six races of the 2024 season as Red Bull weighs up its options for the Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen for 2025 and beyond.

Incumbent Sergio Perez has not been consistent enough to help Verstappen and Red Bull defend their constructors’ championship lead thus far so, despite the Mexican having a two-year deal, Red Bull could yet opt to make a change at any time.

Daniel Ricciardo was brought into its satellite RB squad as a potential replacement but failed to convince Red Bull, leading to the Australian’s departure from Austin onwards.

Tsunoda now has another challenger in the form of Lawson, who made an impressive start to his second F1 stint after a five-race cameo in 2023.

Lawson made a statement by taking third in Saturday’s Q1, setting a faster lap than Tsunoda managed during the entire qualifying session, and then recovered from a grid penalty to move up from 19th to ninth in the race as the only RB to score points.

Lawson’s weekend was dubbed «just about perfect» by team boss Mekies, who says it was a reward for the New Zealander’s 12-month long efforts behind the scenes to be ready to grab his chance with both hands.

Laurent Mekies, Team Principal, RB F1 Team, Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team

Laurent Mekies, Team Principal, RB F1 Team, Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

«It’s a mega impressive weekend,» Mekies told Autosport. «We are very, very happy for him, because you don’t get there by luck, you don’t get there also just with talent.

«You think back to the full year that he has been doing in the engineering office, watching the onboards, watching the data, the hours in the simulator, the very little occasions to actually run the car. And you have to give him credit for the amount of hours he has put in it with little return.

«He was certainly 100% ready to jump in the car, so well done. It was already a mega statement in Q1, we thought that could be the statement of the weekend.

«But then a faultless race, the right pace. There is not much more you can ask, honestly. It’s just about the perfect start.»

There was no evidence of Lawson’s racecraft being rusty either, given the aggressive way he defended against Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in Saturday’s sprint seemed to rattle the Spaniard.

«I think also that was refreshing, he was already not overthinking things and just defending his positions in the right way — that’s what you want to see with this sort of guy,» Mekies said.

«Not only has he not been driving in a race in a year, but also he has never been driving here in Austin.»

Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team VCARB 01, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24, Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524

Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team VCARB 01, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24, Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Lawson’s performance also seemed to tickle Tsunoda, who was frustrated at the 22-year-old’s reverse one-stop strategy — starting on hard tyres instead of mediums — landing him ahead of his Japanese team-mate after the pitstops, before Tsunoda dropped to 14th.

Asked if he understood Tsunoda’s frustration, Mekies replied: «Of course. It’s not every day that an overcut happens.

«Obviously, the reverse strategy worked very well — certainly, for Liam, also for [Williams’ Franco] Colapinto. They took some risk on the strategy.

«Obviously, it’s a call that is easier to make when you are starting at the back, but it worked particularly well.

«The race was more frustrating for Yuki because of a bit more time in traffic, and it’s always difficult when you are eighth in the first stint to find yourself outside of the points.»

After easily getting the better of Nyck de Vries and Ricciardo, Lawson looks set to be Tsunoda’s fiercest challenger yet as they vie for a potential Red Bull promotion.

«It is absolutely an opportunity for him to reach another level,» Mekies agreed. «Again, it’s exactly what we want, two team-mates that push each other, and one is going faster in this corner, one goes faster in this other corner, and they both are able to put in very consistent laps.»

Having two drivers firing on all cylinders will be necessary for RB to see off the much-improved Haas team, which outscored the Anglo-Italian squad and is now leading the race for sixth place by two points. After going down the wrong update path over the summer, its latest upgrades in Austin appear to be working as the fight looks set to go the distance.

«We have run with two different set-ups, so there is a lot to learn through the new updates, which seem to work,» Mekies added.

«In Barcelona, we had this update that didn’t work and it sort of stopped our season. It took us some time to understand the roots of it, and it’s probably the first time since Barcelona that we actually managed to get the car to behave differently.

«Hopefully, there is more potential in it. We are leaving here two points down on Haas, who also did a fantastic job with their cars this weekend. But it gives us good confidence that we can take up the fight with Yuki and Liam for the final five races.»



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What we learned from Red Bull and McLaren’s Austin F1 upgrades

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Red Bull’s renewed challenge at the front of the grid in Austin suggests the team has begun to better understand the issues that it faces in finding performance from the RB20 on a week-by-week basis.

However, there are other factors to consider, with its handle on the tyres when compared with the opposition a glaring difference at the United States Grand Prix.

Seemingly able to find and better hold onto the performance sweet spot that’s necessary for lap time and longevity over a stint was undoubtedly a factor throughout the race weekend and something which has been lacking throughout much of 2024, exacerbated by its struggles with car balance.

However, we cannot dismiss the fact that the RB20 was also furnished with a smattering of new parts, perhaps helping Red Bull unlock the balance it’s sorely been missing for several races.

This included a revised layout at the rear of the edge wing, with the rear quarter of its surface not only being reshaped but also cambered more than its predecessor. There’s also a change in the profile of the vertical tab at the rear of the edge wing, as it’s reconfigured along with the shape of the edge wing’s tail, which is now more upturned than before.

There were also changes to the sidepod and engine cover bodywork on the RB20 in Austin, with the rearward sloping surface steepened as the overall length of the sidepod has been shortened. This change coincides with the belt-line contouring also being adjusted to provide a better passage for the airflow to travel to the rear of the car.

McLaren was one of several teams to declare a raft of changes for the United States GP, as it looks to continue its ascent through the pecking order and provide a step up in performance for the MCL38 in the remaining five grands prix of the season.

McLaren MCL38 front wing comparison

McLaren MCL38 front wing comparison

Photo by: Uncredited

As has been the trend during this regulatory era, the front wing and front suspension fairings have been altered in tandem, such is their aerodynamic kinship. The alterations to the front wing were subtle though, as the team adjusted the size of the upper two flaps in the outboard section, with the uppermost now a more continuous height across the span of the element (green arrows and comparison with older specification inset)

This has also constituted changes to the suspension fairing’s shapes, with the geometry of the front leg of the lower wishbone altered. Also, the shape of the cricket bat-shaped outer portion of the front leg of the upper wishbone has been reconfigured, along with the shape of the inboard attachment fairing.

McLaren MCL38 beam wing comparison

McLaren MCL38 beam wing comparison

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Despite having announced the introduction of a new single-element beam wing arrangement to compliment its higher downforce rear wing configuration in the car presentation document, McLaren opted for another beam wing variant seemingly already in its pool.

The twin element, bi-plane style arrangement, was still a lower downforce version than the one used in Singapore and was likely chosen by the team as it was a known quantity, rather than pursuing an untested solution with just one practice session, especially as the team had so many other components to field test in just one session ahead of sprint qualifying.

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Was secret front wing upgrade key to Ferrari’s US GP dominance?

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Ferrari’s dominance of the United States Grand Prix came on a weekend when it stood out from its rivals in not bringing any upgrades. Or, to be more accurate, none that it officially declared.

With closest challengers McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes all introducing developments at the Austin track, the FIA’s official submission sheet that details changes showed no tweaks to the Ferrari car.

But that does not tell the true story of Ferrari’s approach to the USA weekend, as there are certain tweaks teams can make that do not have to be declared.

Article 19.1c) of F1’s sporting regulations, which covers what items teams have to tell the FIA about, states that this includes «all major aerodynamic and bodywork components and assemblies that have not been run at a previous Competition or TCC [test] and are intended to be run at the competition.»

Indeed, after seeing Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz take a 1-2 finish, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur repeated several times that just because no upgrades were declared, it did not mean the Prancing Horse did not have any.

«It is not that because we are not declaring something that we are not bringing something,» he said. «We have to be clear that the upgrades are about the external shape.»

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Ferrari

Ferrari did not elaborate on what exactly was new for Austin, but speculation has surrounded the possibility that it brought some new specification front wings.

While these externally are identical to what it first introduced in Singapore, insiders suggest Ferrari had spent some time since the last race working on optimising their construction to help exploit aero elasticity more.

In a season when having a more flexible front wing has been instrumental in better balancing a car – helping address the low-speed understeer and high-speed oversteer characteristics of the current ground effect machinery – Ferrari had perhaps been too cautious at the start of the season.

And while it privately felt that others were pushing the boundaries too much in how much flexing was going on, recent FIA clarifications that such behaviour is allowed opened the door for Maranello to go down this route itself now too.

A more optimised flexi-wing is not something that will transform a car but, in a season where the gaps between teams are so close, it is a detail that can have an impact.

Speaking about the value of a good flexi front wing after what we saw in Austin, Vasseur said: «Clearly it is not a game-changer, but we are in the situation today that every single hundredth of a second is making a difference.

«In qualifying we had two or three cars behind us by less than one-tenth, and that meant if these details or another one are down to the hundredths of a second, then we have to do it.»

The new wing design that originally appeared in Singapore is an evolution of its predecessor, with many of the design features retained, albeit more deliberate in their approach.

In terms of the actual design changes to the wing, aside from the obvious flap geometry changes, the design of the spoon-shaped transition from the centre of the mainplane has been altered. This will, in turn, provide a different aerodynamic reaction from the nose assembly.

Ferrari SF-24 new front wing detail
Ferrari SF-24 old front wing detail

Meanwhile, the outboard section of the flaps has been redesigned where they mate with the endplate. This is in order to enhance the outwash effect being generated and alter the wake generated by the wheel and tyre assembly behind.

The new flap tips are much more roundly curved (left image, above) and the supporting metal work that had previously been employed has been cast aside, which will alter their dynamic behaviour as a consequence.

Ferrari is also undoubtedly benefiting from a wing designed with a greater ability to exploit aeroelasticity, given the FIA’s clearance of solutions fielded by its rivals in recent races.



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Red Bull hints at long-awaited Tsunoda F1 test

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Red Bull has hinted that Yuki Tsunoda could get his first test for the team after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Autosport revealed over the Austin weekend that Japanese manufacturer Honda was pushing hard for Tsunoda to be given a run for Red Bull’s main squad.

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Up until now, he has only tested and raced for the junior AlphaTauri/RB operations, and his drives in a Red Bull car have been limited to demo events.

But Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has suggested that the squad could give him that first opportunity at the end of the season.

Asked by Autosport if there was a chance of Red Bull accepting Honda’s request for a Tsunoda test, Marko said: “We have some plans for Abu Dhabi, yes. But we have various drivers, you know. We have [Isack] Hadjar, for example, and now we have Liam [Lawson].”

Although it is not clear the specifics of what Marko is referring to, the most likely scenario could be for Tsunoda to drive the Red Bull RB20 in the post-season tyre test.
This test takes place on the Tuesday after the season finale and teams are required to run two cars in it.

One car must be piloted by a driver who holds an official F1 Superlicence and is for tyre testing, while the other is for young drivers who have not competed in more than two grands prix in their career.

Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team, Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team

Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team, Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

If Red Bull’s current drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez elect to skip the test, then Red Bull could slot Tsunoda in its RB20, with Lawson driving for RB.

The team could then put a young driver like Hadjar in one of its cars, with other contenders being Honda junior Ayumu Iwasa or even simulator driver Jake Dennis, who got a run in a practice session last year.

The final choice will likely be influenced by whether or not Red Bull feels that one of the current RB drivers should step up to the main squad next year if Sergio Perez does not perform well enough in the closing stages of this season.

Lawson has been drafted in for the final races as replacement for Daniel Ricciardo with a view to being evaluated by Red Bull. The New Zealander impressed over the Austin weekend – coming from the back of the grid thanks to an engine change penalty to finish ninth.

Speaking about Lawson’s weekend, Marko said: “Perfect! It was already when he was P3 in Q1, then they made their tactical games [to not set a competitive time in Q2].

“To go from P19 to P9, with all his lap times, and also his overtaking with [Fernando] Alonso, because [on Saturday] Alonso was complaining.

“I think he was really surprised and all of a sudden he was there. He’s a very tough racer, and he showed that he has the speed.”

Speaking to Autosport last weekend, Koji Watanabe, the president of Honda’s racing arm HRC, said he was pushing hard for Tsunoda to get a Red Bull run.

«We believe he has the talent. Of course, driver decisions are ultimately up to the team, but as a partner we’ve strongly requested that Tsunoda be given the chance to drive and test in a Red Bull car,” he said.

“We want to at least give him the opportunity to showcase his ability. I’ve also spoken directly with Christian about this. He hasn’t ruled it out. Nothing has been decided yet, but I think we need to proceed properly.»



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«Slam dunk» Norris penalty was a «black-and-white» case

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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has backed the United States Grand Prix stewards over the penalty given to McLaren’s Lando Norris after his battle with Formula 1 title rival Max Verstappen, calling it a «black-and-white» case.

Norris was fighting for the final podium position at the Circuit of the Americas when he made an overtake around the outside at Turn 12, which Verstappen defended robustly and, with both cars leaving the circuit and continuing, the British driver kept hold of the position.

McLaren expected Verstappen to be on the receiving end of an investigation for forcing its driver off-track when defending, much like Mercedes’ George Russell had been earlier in the race in battle with Valtteri Bottas’s Sauber, but the stewards instead decided Norris was the one at fault and handed him a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

The Woking-based outfit condemned the decision that reversed placings in the final results and saw Verstappen extend his lead to 57 points in the title race, while Mercedes’ team principal Toto Wolff suggested ‘bias’ in the decision-making.

But Horner has insisted the call was the correct one, explaining: «The racing between the two of them was competitive and great to watch and obviously, all the drivers know acutely what the rules are. They discuss these issues and particular corners in the briefings with the various stewards and driver stewards and race directors.

«The pass was made off-track. We’ve been on the receiving end of that, in fact here, I think against Kimi, 2018 [2017, when Verstappen was penalised and lost third place to Raikkonen]. So for us, it was crystal clear that the pass had been made off the track, so he should have given the place back. He chose not to so therefore there was a penalty. So for us, it was very much a black-and-white scenario.»

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, battle into turn 1

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, battle into turn 1

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

On the perceived inconsistency of stewarding across the weekend, in particular, with Russell and Yuki Tsunoda both penalised when on the inside of the corner for pushing rivals wide, Horner replied: «I think it’s very difficult for the stewards and every incident is different, so you have to look at every incident individually.

«When you’re on the receiving end of it, it’s not nice. As I say, we’ve been on the receiving end of it numerous times, not just at this track, but at other tracks. So they all know what’s at stake.

«What I perhaps didn’t understand was: it was clear there was going to be a penalty, or it looked pretty clear there was going to be a penalty, with the car advantage and tyre advantage that McLaren had at that point of the race. It looked like he went to give the place back up at Turn 1, but there was some confusion there. If he’d given the place back immediately, he probably would have had enough pace to make the pass.»

Verstappen had also pushed Norris wide at the first corner of the race in a move that allowed eventual race winner Charles Leclerc to scamper up the inside and into the lead.

That incident was dismissed despite bearing resemblance to the move that earned the Dutchman a penalty at the Las Vegas GP last season when fighting Leclerc on lap one, but Horner insisted: «We discussed this many, many times, it goes back to Niki Lauda making an impassioned plea to Charlie Whiting of just let them race.

«It was agreed then, for the first lap it used to be, now it’s very much the first corner, let them race and that was a classic case of that and they all know that.»

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38 battle into the first corner, followed by Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38 battle into the first corner, followed by Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

Given the gravity of the decision in the battle between both for the drivers’ title — and with Norris’s belief the verdict was rushed — Horner was asked whether he felt the stewards could have held a hearing post-race.

«I think it was a slam dunk and the problem is, again, we then have the arguments of you want the right people on the podium,» explained Horner.

«So you have this… It happened so many times that I actually think the stewards dealt with it pretty rapidly and decently.»



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Norris says Austin was “momentum killer” for F1 title hopes

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Lando Norris labelled his United States Grand Prix weekend a «momentum killer» for his Formula 1 title hopes after losing ground to Max Verstappen.

The McLaren driver had gone into the Austin event 52 points behind his Red Bull rival and well aware that, with time running out, he needed to start cutting the deficit dramatically.

But rather than continuing to close down the margin, Norris actually lost five more points after being classified behind Verstappen in both the sprint and the grand prix.

His efforts on Sunday though were not helped by a controversial five-second penalty for overtaking off the track that dropped him from third on the road ahead of Verstappen to behind his rival.

Asked how much the weekend had impacted his title prospect, Norris said: «I mean, quite a bit. It’s a momentum killer.

«But we came in here with our mind open, not expecting to dominate or just win or anything. The fact that Ferrari was so quick showed they’re just as competitive.

«Even if I had come around Turn 1 in first, I would never have finished first or second and only could have finished third.

«The one guy I needed to beat was Max, and that’s the guy I didn’t beat. So, it was an unsuccessful weekend all in all.

«But we gave it a good shot. I tried. It wasn’t good enough, and we have work to do, and I’ve work to do on myself.»

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

While McLaren’s form in the United States was not as good as it has been in recent race weekends, team boss Andrea Stella said he was not surprised that things were more difficult this time out.

He said that the contrast in pace, between dominating in Singapore in the last race and being on the back foot a little in Austin, was down to track characteristics.

«Compared to Singapore, here there’s quite a lot more low-speed braking into low-speed corners, plus wind, and we know that in these conditions, not necessarily our car performs at the best,» he said.

«It is not as good as in some medium speed corners, low wind conditions, which we had in Singapore, we had in Zandvoort, and we had in Hungary.

«We know that these three venues that I’ve just mentioned do suit our car, but here I would have expected this event to be the most difficult of the remaining six events.»

Stella also thinks it is important to understand that Ferrari’s dominant form in Austin was not a big shock, because analysis of recent races shows that perhaps the Italian squad had not maximised its chances before.

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«They have been quick over the previous races pretty consistently,» he added. «If anything, they have not been capable of maximising their potential.

«In Baku, Leclerc, in fairness, was definitely in condition to win the race. In Singapore, we were expecting Leclerc to be competitive for pole position and the same in the race. So, we are not surprised that Ferrari is so close.

«I think the next circuits should be more suitable to the characteristics of our car. We also have to keep developing the car.

«Here, we took some developments to the front of the car, but they were nothing too large in terms of potential lap time impact. We have a couple more things that are coming in the next two races, and we will see if we are in a condition to alter the competitiveness of the car.»

Additional reporting by Alex Kalinauckas



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Why McLaren didn’t tell Norris to give place back to Verstappen

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McLaren has explained why it didn’t ask Lando Norris to let Max Verstappen past after their Turn 12 off-track battle in Austin, which led to a penalty for the Briton.

In the closing stages of Formula 1’s United States Grand Prix, Norris was hounding Verstappen for third when he finally swooped around the outside on COTA’s back straight with four laps to go.

Verstappen had the inside for Turn 12’s left-hander and looked ahead at the apex, before going off-track at the exit and taking Norris with him into the run-off area.

Norris kept the position until the finish, but the stewards handed him a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, which demoted him back to fourth behind his title rival. It is a more lenient penalty than the usual 10 seconds because the stewards accepted Norris had no choice but to go off-track due to Verstappen’s line.

Norris and his team briefly discussed whether he should give the position back or not, and given the Briton had the quicker car and a tyre life advantage he could have likely made other attempts to pass the Dutchman. But the team was so sure Norris was in the clear that it saw no reasons to let Verstappen past.

«There was complete agreement by all the people involved in this interpretation: this situation did not need to be investigated. And if anything, we thought the investigation should be for Max pushing Lando off the track,» Stella explained.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, battles with Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, battles with Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

«That’s what we thought was going to happen when we saw the case was under investigation. So for us, there was no need to give back the position.»

Verstappen escaped sanction for pushing Norris off because he was deemed to be ahead at the apex, but according to Stella the fact that the Red Bull driver couldn’t keep his own car on track means his and Norris’ off-track excursion should cancel each other out.

«I think [being] ahead of the apex, in relation to the interpretation of the overtaking manoeuvre, is not the relevant bit,» he added. «I think the defending car goes straight at the apex — we checked the video multiple times — it is just going straight, just going off track as much as Lando is doing and giving no chance for Lando to complete the manoeuvre.

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«Both cars go off track, so I think both cars are gaining an advantage, if there is an advantage gained. So for us, this manoeuvre was at least neutral. But when I saw that there was an ‘under investigation’, I was pretty sure that was because Max pushed Lando off the track.

«In fact we told Oscar immediately to make sure he closed within five seconds of Max because there could be a position at stake. So the interpretation of this situation between McLaren and the stewards is the polar opposite.»



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‘McLaren complains a lot’ after Norris battle issue at US GP

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Max Verstappen has insisted he has no sympathy for McLaren arguing he pushed Lando Norris off at Turn 12 in Austin, saying Red Bull’s rival has been «complaining a lot recently».

Norris had been chasing Verstappen for third place for most of the second stint of the COTA’s 56-lap race when he attacked his championship rival around the outside of the Turn 12 left-hander.

Verstappen defended the inside and appeared ahead at the apex, then drifted wide until he left the track with all four tyres, forcing Norris to go wide with him on his outside.

Norris still came out ahead, with both drivers and teams at odds over who should give way as Red Bull argued Norris shouldn’t have overtaken while off the track.

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The Briton decided to keep the position instead of letting Verstappen back past, and that ultimately made the stewards hand him a five-second penalty, which dropped him back to fourth behind Verstappen in the results.

When asked by Autosport if he had any sympathy for McLaren’s side of the argument, Verstappen replied: «No, I don’t. I mean, they complain about a lot recently.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

«It’s very clear in the rules, outside the white line you cannot pass. I have been done for it as well in the past – I think in 2017, or whenever it was, so I lost my podium like that.

«So I just remained calm, trying to do the best I could after that to bring the car to the end. It was not easy with the tyres and the situation that I was in. But overall, I still really enjoyed that battle that we had.»

Verstappen was referring to McLaren taking issue with Red Bull’s device to change the height of its front bib, which had dominated the news agenda earlier in the weekend.

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A similar incident occurred at the start, when polesitter Norris covered the inside of the Turn 1 hairpin but still left the door ajar for the Dutchman to squeeze through.

Ultimately both drivers went off, handing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc a golden opportunity to swoop past on his way to winning the COTA race.

«There was a gap on the inside, so I went for it,» Verstappen commented on his start. «That corner is very wide, so it gives you a lot of opportunity of going very wide or trying to go really tight.

«I chose that option, and I still came out second this time, and it was Charles in front. I think it worked out quite well for me, because Charles was faster anyway, so he just pulled away.

«Today wasn’t the best race for us compared to yesterday – just struggling for balance, for grip. I couldn’t really brake, rotate the car, so quite quickly I realised that I wasn’t going to win the race, so I just tried to do my own race.»



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