McLaren launch stunning appeal to overturn Lando Norris penalty for overtaking Max Verstappen
Norris was embroiled in a thrilling battle with F1 title rival Max Verstappen as they fought for a podium
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McLaren have launched a stunning appeal in a bid to overturn the five-second penalty handed to Lando Norris in last weekend’s US Grand Prix.
The Briton was punished on the final lap in Austin, costing him a place on the podium, with F1 title rival Max Verstappen extending his lead in the standings.
Norris finished 4.1 seconds ahead of the Red Bull star, ensuring the places were reversed due to the five-second penalty, with Norris in fourth.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella had confirmed the team would not appeal the decision, doubting they could find "significant and relevant" new evidence to reverse the decision.
But in a dramatic move, as the 96-hour window following the event was about to expire, McLaren produced a shocking move on Thursday evening in Mexico City ahead of this weekend’s race to enter a petition for the right of review on the penalty.
Norris started the race on pole before dropping down to fourth, but towards the end of the race he had superior pace to Verstappen ahead of him in third.
Yet Verstappen defended superbly on numerous occasions in a thrilling lap-by-lap battle between the pair, before the controversial moment on lap 52.
Norris, with DRS going down into turn 12, seemed to squeeze ahead of Verstappen before both drivers went off the track – beyond the racing white line – and Norris took third place from Verstappen.
Verstappen was fuming, insisting over team radio Norris needed to give the position back or be penalised, while McLaren informed Norris that they believed he was “ahead at the apex” and so they stayed put.
Verstappen’s lead in the drivers’ championship is now up to 57 points with five rounds remaining.
Red Bull, incorrectly, believed that Norris was handed a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits too many times – but the British driver actually had one life remaining.
Norris said after the race: “I tried, he also went off the track, if he goes off the track he goes in too hard [at turn one at the start] and gains an advantage. But I don’t make the rules.
“Max went for a tight gap. From inside the car, it’s easier and harder to say at times, Max committed quite a bit. I don’t know, I need to look back. He’s overtaken by going off track [at the start]
“He defends off track, overtakes off track. Max raced well, we had a good race - the rules are the rules.
“We ended up where we expected to be, I’d have liked third - we still didn’t have the pace of the Ferraris. That’s life. We need a good chunk compared to the Ferrari.”
Verstappen, straight after the race, stated: “It was a tough battle, to be on the podium is a good result. I have my opinion but I don’t need to say it here, I’ll let the stewards do their thing.”
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, however, insisted the stewards were “inappropriate” for getting involved at all.
“The way the stewards interfered with a beautiful piece of motorsport was inappropriate,” he told Sky Sports F1.
“It cost us a podium, we stayed patient and were pushed off in first corner. This kind of decision from the stewards, it can’t be appealed, we move on to the next race.
“We double-checked that both cars went off track, so there was no doubt that the manoeuvre was correct.”
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