Martin Brundle at Mexico City GP: Analysis of Max Verstappen’s ‘shocking’ move on Lando Norris | F1 News

Mexicans sure know how to put on a show. The pre-race environment in the stadium area was as atmospheric as anything I’ve experienced in Formula 1.

I really enjoyed F1 and sports car racing there in the 80s and 90s. Although the road traffic and air quality couldn’t make the experience shine. Racing can be a bit boring when teams and drivers have to strictly manage car and tire temperatures at high altitudes, but this year’s race was dramatic.

Carlos Sainz was the star of the show in both qualifying and the race, steering his Ferrari to a trouble-free victory from a good pole position. It’s understandably bittersweet for the departing Spaniard, as he now has just four races and two sprints left to hand the car over to Lewis Hamilton. Actually, I think the bitter taste is stronger than the sweet taste.

The race produced an interesting twist in both the drivers’ and constructors’ title races. After Austin last weekend, the saga of driving combat instructions, driver behavior and in-race punishments raged in the days leading up to the race and escalated significantly on Sunday.

The sights of both championships are tightly packed in terms of racetrack performance, with bulletproof cars with both wheels and suspension capable of withstanding significant impacts, with the added bonus of excellent safety protection for drivers and drivers. Compassionate breakaway zones – meaning consistent, hard-fought track position across the field is the new standard.

The Rules of Participation are a combination of the International Sporting Regulations, the F1 Sporting Regulations, additional notes from race directors for specific events and the F1 Driving Standards Guidelines, which I covered in last week’s column. Most incidents or collisions have their own unique aspects and, like all sports, are subject to the referee’s interpretation and opinion.

Unlike most global sports, the multi-billion dollar world of F1 surprisingly lacks a properly trained and compensated body of professional ‘umpires’. We have a diverse group of stewards throughout the season and although that has been reduced in recent years, each race always includes a former driver. They are unpaid volunteers who only pay their bills and do a great job overall.

It’s a role I don’t want for every coffee in Brazil, especially considering the pressure they receive from teams and drivers in race radio calls and post-race interviews, and the poisonous pills delivered on social media where they are accused of bias. It’s almost always caused by biased fans.

“Verstappen could have received a harsher punishment.”

They were certainly busy in the race and both Red Bull drivers were on the receiving end. Sergio Perez was relatively far ahead of his starting grid box and was penalized 5 seconds, which is not in dispute. His excellent start and run down to the first corner were wasted.

Max Verstappen was awarded two 10-second penalties inside four corners, a decision that clearly demonstrated the stewards’ newfound firmness. This is welcome. The first was against championship rival Lando Norris, who passed on the outside in Turn 4. Norris was considered ahead at the entrance, apex and exit and was entitled to enter the racing room without being pushed out. He could have received a penalty of 5 or 10 seconds, but it was determined that there was no reason for a reduction, so 10 seconds was used as the standard.

Norris bizarrely took the lead from Sainz across the grass, but of course immediately gave it back into Turn Six. Then, shortly afterwards, at Turn 8, which was not the usual overtaking spot, Verstappen, perhaps feeling that Norris had passed him on the track, simply threw his car into the inside of the McLaren.

He must have known this could put them both out of the race immediately, but Norris was ready for it. It was another 10-second penalty for going off the track and gaining a sustained advantage, but it could have easily guaranteed a pit lane drive-through for frankly dangerous driving.

It was a pretty shocking move at the time that took them off the track and allowed Charles Leclerc to pass Ferrari 1-2. This delay by Norris, and the subsequent need for the Dutchman to follow Verstappen until he pitted on lap 26, probably cost him the win, given his speed in the final stages of the race.

I know Max doesn’t care what anyone thinks, but it breaks my heart when he drives like that. He’s a multiple champion and has more drive in his little finger than most of us ever have, but his legacy will be tainted by this sporting attitude and that’s a shame.

‘Lawson and Colapinto will learn the hard way after crash’

Norris went on to pass on Leclerc, who noted that he missed the first free practice due to a rule requiring teams to run a rookie in each seat once a year, and that the second practice was mainly taken over for testing of Pirelli tires. I did it. Hang out to catch up on the remaining events.

At the front, Sainz held his composure and won by 4.7 seconds as Ferrari overtook Red Bull for second in the Constructors’ Championship and edged closer to current leader McLaren.

Fourth and fifth places saw quite a battle between them, with the dueling Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finishing three-quarters of a minute behind the winner. It was a tough race, but fair and clean, and Mercedes were in no mood to ask next team leader Russell to give way to the departing Hamilton.

Verstappen finished sixth thanks to a 20-second penalty, meaning he lost 10 points to Norris. More worrying for Red Bull was that they once again lacked race pace.

Oscar Piastri, who had largely finished 17th on a self-inflicted grid, ran a solid race to move up to 8th in his McLaren, sandwiched between the two notable Haas cars of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg. Haas has taken on the role of the former Force India team (now Aston Martin) under Ayao Komatsu and has made every pound count with positive upgrades. imposing.

Liam Lawson and home hero Sergio Perez engaged in a fierce battle that ended up damaging the floor and sidepods of Perez’s car, the very car Lawson hopes to drive soon. It was considered a racing incident, but Lawson was thought to have moved too much in the Turn Four braking zone and the next two corners were rather clumsy between them.

I admire how much confidence players like Lawson and fellow rookie Franco Colapinto have. This despite Colapinto being penalized for both crashing in the final stages.

They will learn, as we all have, the hard way that you can’t throw heavy, powerful F1 cars on sticky tires in quite the same way you can in Junior Formula.

We’re heading straight up to Interlagos in Brazil this weekend. This is a track that often brings drama and surprises. We expect this year to be no different as the season builds towards its crescendo.

Live Sao Paulo GP schedule on Sky Sports F1

Thursday, October 31
4 p.m.: Driver press conference

Friday, November 1
2:00 PM: Sao Paulo GP Practice 1 (session starts at 2:30 PM)
4:30 PM: Team leader press conference
6:00 PM: Sao Paulo GP Sprint Qualifying (Qualifying starts at 6:30 PM*)

Saturday, November 2nd
1pm: Sao Paulo GP sprint build-up
2pm: Sao Paulo GP Sprint
3:30 PM: Ted’s sprint notes
5pm: Preparing for the Sao Paulo qualifiers
6pm: Sao Paulo GP qualifying
8 p.m.: Ted’s Qualifying Notes

Sunday, November 3
3.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Sao Paulo GP build-up
5 p.m.: Sao Paulo Grand Prix
7pm: Checkered flag: Sao Paulo GP reaction
8 p.m.: Ted’s Notes

*It will also be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event

Formula 1’s Americas triple-header concludes this weekend with the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, with all sessions broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month membership. There is no contract and you can cancel at any time.