Lando Norris (McLaren) received a five-second penalty on the last lap of the race for overtaking Max Verstappen (Red Bull) off the track after late braking by the Dutchman, also off the track, thus winning an advantage, according to the commissioners.
Verstappen not penalized for similar maneuver
With this penalty, the McLaren driver finally dropped to 4th place, behind his opponent, 3rd. “The way the stewards interfered with this beautiful motorsport was inappropriate because both cars went off the track, so both cars gained an advantage for us. There is no doubt that the maneuver was correct”reacted McLaren manager Andrea Stella on Sunday evening, interviewed by the Sky Sports channel.
“It’s a shame because it cost us a podium, it cost us a race where we remained patient after being pushed on the first lap, at the first corner”he also railed, referring to a similar maneuver by Verstappen on Norris at the start of the race and for which the Dutchman was not sanctioned. The decision made by the commissioners cannot be appealed, “the chapter is therefore closed”concluded Stella.
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At the end of this 19th round (out of 24) of the season won by Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Verstappen slightly increased his overall lead over Norris, whom he now trails by 57 points while 146 points still remain. to be distributed until the last round of the season, in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of December.
