McLaren’s Lando Norris to adapt his F1 title fight approach after penalty

Lando Norris arrives in Mexico City with the gap to Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen having grown to 57 points. Photo / Getty Images

Lando Norris says he will make changes to his approach in his world championship battle with Max Verstappen.

The British Formula One driver was controversially demoted from third to fourth in Austin last weekend after being handed a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage by running off the track to pass Verstappen in the closing stages of the US Grand Prix – at the end of a thrilling battle between the title protagonists.

McLaren felt Verstappen forced Norris off the track and suggested it was a regular move deployed by the Dutchman when defending.

Norris arrives in Mexico City with the gap to championship leader Verstappen having grown to 57 points, only five races remaining and 146 points up for grabs.

The 24-year-old continues to believe his penalty was unfair but admitted he may need to do things differently when he goes wheel-to-wheel with his title rival.

The battle of the Circuit of the Americas. The latest chapter in this thrilling championship story 📖#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/EK0VtkUEFk

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 21, 2024

“Do I need to make some changes? Yes. I still need to adapt a little bit more,” Norris said.

“Is everything I am doing wrong? That’s a no. It is a tough position to be in.

“Max did not care if he won or was second or third. His only job was to beat me and he did that. He did a good job from his side.

“I have not spoken to Max at all. He did what he thought was right and I did what I thought was right.

“As a team, we still disagree and I think the majority of people who were watching disagreed with the penalty that I got.”

Pole-sitter Norris had gone from first to fourth at the first corner in Texas after allowing Verstappen to dive up the inside of him, with both Ferraris profiting as the pair ran wide.

Norris closed the gap to Verstappen following a lengthy first stint and thought he had got the job done with four laps remaining when he moved ahead of the Red Bull at turn 12.

But both cars left the track as Norris moved ahead and the stewards said the McLaren driver lost the “right” to the corner because he was not level with Verstappen at the apex.

Norris believes that was wrong but admits the move showed why Verstappen is a top driver.

“I was completely ahead of Max, over a car length ahead of him. I was no longer the attacking car, he was. So I was having to defend,” Norris said.

“He has gone in too hard and overtaken off the track. It has been the main talking point for everyone. A lot of other drivers and teams did not agree with it.

“Max is very good at what he does, probably the best in the world at what he does. He has been racing in this position for longer than I have.

“I am not doing a perfect job but I am not doing a bad job.”