Controversy after the controversial penalty imposed on Lando Norris in the 2024 Formula 1 United States GP for overtaking Max.Verstappen off the track. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff casts heavy shadows on the decision taken by the FIA Commissioners and on the preferential treatment towards the Dutch Red Bull driver.
The 2024 Formula 1 United States GP race dominated by the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz experienced a finale thrilling for the very tight battle for third position between the two contenders for the world title Max Verstappen e Lando Norris decided by one controversial penalty imposed by the FIA Commissioners on the British driver of McLaren.
The latter, three laps from the end of the race on the Austin circuit, had in fact managed to overcome the strenuous resistance of the Dutchman from Red Bull thanks to a overtaking occurred when the two had both ended up beyond the limits of the track and then going on to cross the finish line third before, however, precisely because of that overtaking, he received it five second penalty which dropped him one position in the final finishing order thus allowing the World Championship leader to take the third step of the podium.
A penalty, imposed because according to the FIA Commissioners, as stated in the regulation, Norris gained an advantage from an off-track maneuver. A penalty though caused a lot of discussion because it was not taken into account that the driver who was defending on that occasion, Verstappen, had also ended up with all four wheels of his RB20 beyond the limits of the track. A decision, that of the F1 Commissioners, which it left the McLaren driver himself disconcerted who in post-race interviews was unable to hide his dismay regarding the application of the regulations: “I tried. He also went off the track. If he goes off the track, then it is clear that he went too fast and even gained an advantage by doing what he did. But I don’t make the rules” the McLaren Englishman said about it.
It’s the Ferrari show in Austin, Leclerc dominates the US GP and wins ahead of Sainz: Verstappen rules Norris
But if Norris limited himself to taking it out on the current regulation (which only considers overtaking an advantage and not defending one’s position), he did not do the same Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff That has launched serious accusations against Max Verstappen, alluding to preferential treatment by the FIA towards him. In fact, already at the end of the race the boss of the German team had lashed out against the decision taken by the Stewards regarding the duel between Norris and Verstappen, speaking on the radio with his pilot George Russell (who in the first part of the race had also been given a five-second penalty for pushing Valtteri Bottas’ Sauber off the track, a decision not shared by either the British driver or his team principal).
“Has Verstappen been penalised? – Russell actually asked – No, he did not receive a penalty. And in the end Lando received a penalty for being forced to exit and overtaking on the outside. I guess it’s a bit of a biased decision, but, you know, it doesn’t surprise me” was instead the response to Toto Wolff’s venom. The latter then relaunched his suspicions regarding alleged preferential treatment by the FIA towards the three-time world champion even during TV interviews in the post-race: “It’s strange that Verstappen does things that others have been sanctioned for and he doesn’t get sanctioned. We know why, but we can’t say on television” a very angry Toto Wolff commented, directing heavy accusations at the Red Bull driver and the International Federation.
Source: www.fanpage.it
