Verstappen blames lack of pace for clashes with Norris in Mexico
Verstappen blames Red Bull's poor pace for Mexico GP penalties after controversial incidents with Norris lead to sixth-place finish.
Max Verstappen has attributed his controversial incidents with Lando Norris at the Mexican Grand Prix to a fundamental lack of pace from his Red Bull Formula 1 car, rather than aggressive driving tactics.
Costly penalties
The reigning world champion found himself serving a combined 20 seconds worth of penalties after two separate incidents with McLaren's Norris on lap 10 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
The infractions occurred at Turn 4 and Turn 7, where Verstappen forced Norris off the track and completed passes outside circuit limits, earning two 10-second penalties.
Performance deficit at heart of issues
Despite recovering to sixth place after serving his penalties, Verstappen was notably frustrated by his car's underlying performance issues.
"The biggest problem that I have is that today was a bad day in terms of race pace,"
the Dutch driver explained.
"That was quite clear again on the mediums and on the hard tyres."
Technical struggles compound problems
The three-time world champion's struggles went beyond mere pace deficits.
The battle for the title reaches BOILING POINT 🔥🥵#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/BnvtHTxaQO
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 27, 2024
Verstappen revealed significant issues with tire grip and brake performance throughout the 71-lap race, preventing him from mounting any serious challenge to the Mercedes duo ahead.
"I just had no grip, I was just sliding a lot, I couldn't brake,"
Verstappen admitted.
"To get back to sixth was alright, but then I couldn't even fight the Mercedes cars in front."
Looking ahead to Brazil
While maintaining a substantial 47-point championship lead, Verstappen's focus remains on addressing Red Bull's unexpected performance dip.
"We're trying [to improve],"
he stated.
"Here again, it was a bit more tough, so it's a bit odd. But a few things to look at, and hopefully, of course, Brazil, we can be more competitive."
Regarding the racing incidents themselves, Verstappen remained characteristically direct:
"Everyone speaks for themselves [in the drivers' briefing]. I just drive how I think I have to drive. Last week that was all right, this week, 20-second penalty. That's what it is. Life goes on."
The championship leader's uncharacteristically difficult weekend raises questions about Red Bull's recent performance trajectory, with the team now looking to rebound at the upcoming Brazilian Grand Prix.
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