Lando Norris’ championship ambitions took a significant hit after a controversial penalty in the United States Grand Prix saw him demoted from third to fourth place, as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc cruised to victory. The McLaren driver’s battle with title rival Max Verstappen ended in controversy, costing him crucial points in the race for the Formula 1 World Championship.
With five races remaining, Norris now trails Verstappen by 57 points, with 146 points still available. The penalty, which Norris described as a “momentum killer,” sparked debate over the fairness of the stewards’ decision.
Norris spent most of the race chasing Verstappen, eventually attempting a decisive move on lap 52. As the pair approached Turn 12, Norris tried to overtake on the outside, but both drivers ran off the track. Norris emerged in front, but Verstappen immediately complained, accusing Norris of passing him outside the track limits.
The stewards agreed with Verstappen and handed Norris a penalty for gaining a lasting advantage off-track. The decision dropped him behind the Red Bull driver, extending Verstappen’s championship lead.
However, Norris and his McLaren team believed the penalty was unjust. “For me, Max defended by going off the track himself,” Norris said. “He over-defended, and I had no choice but to go wide. It’s impossible to know if I could’ve stayed on track, but I don’t think it was fair.”
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella echoed Norris’ sentiments, arguing that both drivers gained an advantage by going off track. “Max has used this defensive strategy multiple times in his career, and both cars left the circuit,” said Stella. “The stewards should have reviewed the incident more carefully before making such a rash decision.”
Verstappen, meanwhile, dismissed McLaren’s criticism, noting that the rules are clear. “You can’t pass outside the white lines. I’ve been penalized for it before, and this time, it was Lando’s turn,” he said after the race.
The penalty denied Norris a chance to cut into Verstappen’s championship lead. A third-place finish would have reduced the gap to 51 points, but the decision extended Verstappen’s advantage, leaving the McLaren driver with an uphill battle for the title.
Leclerc, meanwhile, capitalized on the chaos at the front to take the lead early and never looked back. The Ferrari driver, who won in Monza earlier in the season, dominated the race to secure his second victory of the year. Leclerc’s strong performance has reignited Ferrari’s hopes of challenging for the Constructors’ Championship. The Italian team is now just 48 points behind McLaren and eight behind second-place Red Bull.
“We’ve got to target winning the Constructors’ title,” Leclerc said. “It’s ambitious, but if we keep performing like this, we have a shot.”
While Ferrari and Red Bull battled for podium positions, Mercedes endured a dismal weekend. Lewis Hamilton’s race ended after a spin on lap two, mirroring teammate George Russell’s crash in qualifying the day before. Hamilton raised concerns over recent upgrades to the car, suggesting they may have contributed to the issues.
Team principal Toto Wolff admitted that Mercedes struggled to understand the problems but dismissed concerns of a “fundamental issue” with the car’s new package. Russell, who started from the pit lane, recovered to finish sixth, but Mercedes will need to address their performance issues quickly as the season reaches its climax.
For Norris, the penalty is a bitter blow to his title aspirations. Despite the setback, he remains determined to fight on. “It’s frustrating, but we’ll keep pushing. We’ve got some upgrades coming, and we’ll see what we can do in the next few races,” he said.
As Formula 1 heads to Brazil for the next race, the championship battle remains intense, with Norris chasing Verstappen and Ferrari aiming to close the gap in the Constructors’ standings. With only five races left, every point counts, and the controversy in Austin is sure to linger in the minds of fans and teams alike.
