McLaren has argued that Max Verstappen being penalised in the Mexico City Grand Prix shows Lando Norris doesn’t need to switch his racing approach in Formula 1.
Last weekend’s race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez saw the title contenders clash twice in incidents which landed Verstappen two 10-second time penalties.
The stewards’ tougher stance on the Dutchman came amid McLaren’s discontent that similar clashes had gone unpunished at the previous event in the United States.
Verstappen pushing Norris wide on two occasions in Austin prompted renewed talk that the McLaren driver must become more aggressive in wheel-to-wheel combat.
READ MORE – McLaren: Max Verstappen’s Mexico penalties show ‘authority exists’ again in F1
But while Norris conceded that he would look to alter how he races Verstappen, McLaren denied the notion that the Briton needs to get his elbows out more to prevail.
McLaren boss Andrea Stella believes that the stewards clamping down on Verstappen’s antics has vindicated its urge to Norris to not match his rival’s racing conduct.
“I think Lando can look at his own racing, often looking at the half-empty glass in relation to what he could do,” Stella told media including Motorsport Week post-race.
“Our conversations in our internal reviews have been very clear: ‘Lando we like, we approve, we confirm the way you go racing’.
“It’s not for you to go there and try to find justice yourself.
“You go racing in a fair, sporting way like you do and then there needs to be a third party which is the stewarding that will say whether those manoeuvres are correct or not.
“Don’t be desperate, you don’t have to prove anything, you go racing fair and square. This is what we want from Lando.
“This is what Lando wants from himself, and I think it was important that the team kind of confirms that’s what we want from you, Lando.
“That’s how we want to go racing at McLaren and for a driver driving a McLaren car.
“That’s why it’s a positive day because I think it has proven that it’s good to race hard, but it can’t be resolved on track by the two drivers.
“It needs a third party, it needs the authority, so we are completely happy with the way Lando has gone racing before.
“Any time I’ve read these types of headlines, I maybe need to have a conversation with him and reassure him, ‘don’t worry, it will be alright, time is a gentleman’.”
Norris to continue racing Verstappen ‘fair’
Norris recovered from those several close calls with Verstappen to secure second place in Mexico, cutting the Red Bull driver’s championship lead down to 47 points.
But although he has acknowledged that Verstappen’s single goal is to beat him in races at the risk of contact, Norris has insisted he will continue to race with respect.
“I’ve always fought fairly. That’s who I am,” Norris expressed. “That’s who I am as a racer. That’s my way of driving every day.
“Maybe sometimes I’ve lost out because I’ve been too fair and not aggressive enough. And that’s where I have to find a better balance.
“Those are the things, the changes I’ve said I’ve had to change since last weekend and the course of this year, that when you’re racing these top guys, you learn things and you have to understand better these balances of attacking, defending, risk management, aggression, all of those types of things.
“But, yeah, for me, I don’t need to worry about them. It’s got nothing to do with me, in a way. I mean, I’ll do what I can. I’ll race fairly.
“If he [Verstappen] doesn’t, then things will go like they did today.
“But I think he wants to race fairly. I hope he does. I think he enjoys those moments, too, when it’s a fair battle.
“Yeah, all I can do is keep doing what I’m doing. I feel like I’m doing a good job and we’ll see what happens.”
READ MORE – Lando Norris wants Max Verstappen to ‘acknowledge’ he went ‘over the limit’ in Mexico
