How Max Verstappen telemetry data shows he fell into own trap twice

The spicy fight between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris had a second chapter at the Mexican GP. After the McLaren driver’s controversial penalty in Austin, this time it was the Red Bull driver who was penalised by the stewards.

We explain why Verstappen’s 20-second penalty was correctly applied by analysing the regulations, the telemetry of both cars and the TV footage.

How Max Verstappen saw the red mist

After the Safety Car restart caused by lap 1 contact between Yuki Tsunoda and Alexander Albon, Verstappen kept the lead he had won from Carlos Sainz at the start of lap 1 with a classic ‘Mad Max’ manoeuvre on the inside of Turn 1. However, vulnerable and without DRS, he would soon lose P1 again to Sainz with a great move by the Spanish driver on lap 9.

Norris was soon on the back of the RB20, which had visibly less pace than the SF24 and MCL38. On the following lap, taking advantage of the DRS on the long main straight, Norris put himself in a great position to attack Verstappen again in the second DRS zone before braking at turn 4.

The Turn 4 incident

And here came the first controversial action of lap 10. Lando Norris attacked Max Verstappen on the outside at turn 4. Although we cannot attach specific broadcast images for copyright reasons, we invite readers to watch the action themselves to understand the following explanation.

In the footage it is clear that Norris’ MCL38 front axle is slightly ahead of Verstappen before, during and after reaching the apex of Turn 4. This was correctly interpreted by the stewards and in accordance with the Driving Standard Guidelines about overtaking on the outside of a corner.

“In order for a car being overtaken to be required to give sufficient room to an overtaking car, the overtaking car needs to have a significant portion of the car alongside the car being overtaken and the overtaking manoeuvre must be done in a safe and controlled manner, while enabling the car to clearly remain within the limits of the track”.

“When considering what is a ‘significant portion’, for an overtaking on the outside of a corner, among the various factors that will be looked at by the stewards when exercising their discretion, the stewards will consider if the overtaking car is ahead of the other car from the apex of the corner. The car being overtaken must be capable of making the corner while remaining within the limits of the track”.

Norris was ahead at the apex despite overtaking on the outside and also left enough space for Verstappen to make his corner within the track limits. Verstappen did not comply with this last rule as a ‘defending car’ and therefore tried to avoid the overtake by ‘forcing another driver off the track’, which is punishable with a 10-second time penalty.

Furthermore, and this is the important fact, the stewards considered that Norris could have carried out the overtaking manoeuvre in a controlled manner and without exceeding the track limits if he had not been forced off the track by Verstappen. Let’s analyse the telemetry to see if this consideration is correct or not.

Taking this into account and especially watching the footage on TV to see the racing lines of both cars, it can be seen that although Norris brakes clearly later – evidently to try to complete the overtake – that braking is enough to stay within the track limits and attempt the overtaking manoeuvre. He also left enough room for Verstappen to make the corner without any problems.

But Max Verstappen using 20% more throttle at the apex exit does so with the intention of pushing off Norris who has to lift his throttle pedal to avoid contact with the Red Bull driver and finally has no choice but to miss the next corner. In short, the Red Bull driver forces him to exceed the track limits.

This is a correct interpretation of the manoeuvre by the stewards and a correct application of Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2b) of the International Sporting Code: “Manoeuvres liable to hinder other drivers, such as deliberate crowding of a car beyond the edge of the track or any other abnormal change of direction, are strictly prohibited”.

Special mention for Norris who has learned his lesson quickly after the US GP. The McLaren driver arrived first at the apex, thus putting the regulations in his favour during the overtaking manoeuvre and Verstappen fell into his own trap, avoiding the inevitable and earning himself a 10 second penalty.

The Turn 8 contact

This manoeuvre is much less controversial than the first one and easier to analyse. Verstappen was a bit miffed by the previous action and after seeing that Norris had gained the position, he wanted to regain it as soon as possible and was extremely aggressive. So much so, that his lack of cool head at this point cost him another 10 second penalty.

Verstappen attempted a divebomb on Norris down the inside of the tricky Turn 7 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. If we look again at the Driving Standard Guidelines, but this time regarding on how to overtake on the inside of a corner:

“In order for a car being overtaken to be required to give sufficient room to an overtaking car, the overtaking car needs to have a significant portion of the car alongside the car being overtaken and the overtaking manoeuvre must be done in a safe and controlled manner, while enabling the car to clearly remain within the limits of the track”.

Clearly, the manoeuvre was not done in a controlled manner and furthermore, Verstappen regained the position on Norris by exceeding the track limits at Turn 8 immediately after Turn 7. In other words, he ‘left the track and gained an advantage’.

Another 10 seconds penalty well applied according to Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2c) of the International Sporting Code: “Should a car leave the track for any reason, the driver may rejoin. However, this may only be done when it is safe to do so and without gaining any lasting advantage. A driver will be judged to have left the track if no part of the car remains in contact with the track”.

Verstappen finished the Mexican GP in sixth position despite the 20-second penalty which he served before his pit stop on lap 27, while Norris managed to overtake Charles Leclerc to finish second.

The British driver was aggressive enough at turn 4 to cause Verstappen to fall for his own trick twice: firstly by being over-aggressive in his defence and secondly by being over-aggressive in an overtaking attempt more motivated by frustration than by logic.

Norris thus cuts 10 points off the Red Bull driver in the Drivers’ Championship but the Dutchman still leads with 362 points to the McLaren driver’s 315 points.

The season is approaching its final stage and the gap is still too big to expect a last-minute comeback from the British driver. But the fight, as we have seen in the last two Grands Prix, is still on and ‘spicier’ than ever.

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