Lando Norris' honest admission about his rivalry with Max Verstappen ahead of Mexico GP

After being controversially penalized during the 2024 United States Grand Prix, McLaren’s Lando Norris admitted on Thursday that he is “not quite at the level” of rival Max Verstappen, of Red Bull, when it comes to defense.

“Max is the best in the world in this style of defence and attacking. So I have to be at his level and at the moment I am not quite at the level I need to be at,” he said to the press, according to the BBC. “It’s a shame to say, but it’s probably the truth. At the same time, it’s a chance for me to learn and progress.”

Norris’ admission comes after he received a five-second penalty on Sunday for overtaking Verstappen off-track, after the Dutchman forced him out at Turn 12, with nowhere to go. To many, the penalty was excessive, but it was, in the end, a good defense tactic by the Red Bull driver.

However, Norris said he did not believe he deserved the punishment. “The fact of getting off the brakes just to be ahead at apex, no matter how wide you run on the exit, is incorrect and I don’t believe that’s how racing should be,” he said.

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing looks on in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of United States (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

“So I think there are some tweaks [that need making]. But Max races hard, I expect that. I just don’t think I was in the wrong last weekend. I don’t believe either of us were necessarily in the wrong,” he added.

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Hamilton and Leclerc support Norris

Other drivers also spoke about the incident, saying that Verstappen usually exploits the rules to his advantage, but not necessarily in a “fair” way. “You shouldn’t be able to come off the brakes and run more speed in and go off the track and still hold your place,” said Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes.

Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who won the race in Austin, said that Verstappen “has always been on the limit of the regulations and sometimes it goes over a little, but that’s what makes those fights exciting.”

After the race, the Dutchman said that he had an opinion about the stewards’ decision, but he wasn’t going to share it. But on Thursday he defended himself from Norris’ comments, saying that he is just following the rules “as much as he can,” and “playing with” them.