Norris-Verstappen U.S. GP duel brings into question F1 rules

AUSTIN, Texas -- As the sun dipped low in the Texan sky, Ferrari's brilliant one-two victory at Formula 1's U.S. Grand Prix started to become overshadowed by controversy.

Following a thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle to secure the remaining place on the podium, Lando Norris was penalised five seconds for passing championship rival Max Verstappen off the track. The stewards' decision effectively undid Norris' overtake, reversed the on-track positions at the chequered flag and resulted in a net six-point extension of Verstappen's lead in the drivers' championship.

Such a swing in the drivers' standings could prove pivotal in this year's title fight, which only served to amplify questions over the consistency of F1 stewarding and the logic of the sport's racing rules on Sunday evening.

What happened?

Norris was on a mission to get past his title rival after losing a position to Verstappen on the opening lap at Turn 1. That move, which wasn't investigated by the stewards because it took place in the melee of the first corner, saw Verstappen launch his Red Bull to the inside of Norris before both drivers left the track.

As the two title rivals struggled for grip in the run-off area, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc swept into the lead, with Verstappen resuming in second place ahead of the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz in third and Norris down in fourth. Norris made a later tyre change than the cars ahead of him and, after Verstappen lost a position to Sainz in his pit stop, used his fresher rubber to chase down the Red Bull in the second half of the race.

After multiple laps in Verstappen's wake, he finally got alongside the Red Bull with the help of DRS on the long run to Turn 12 on lap 52. As Norris nosed ahead on the outside line, Verstappen left his braking too late on the inside, resulting in the Red Bull arriving earlier at the apex but both drivers sailing off the track and into the run-off area. Norris emerged back on the track in front of Verstappen, moving him from fourth place to third, and after defending on the following lap into Turn 1, started to build a gap.

Verstappen told his team over the radio that Norris should give the position back, and soon after, the stewards confirmed they were investigating the incident.

Why did the stewards penalise Norris?

Undoubtedly, Norris had overtaken Verstappen beyond the white line at the edge of the circuit, and therefore faced a potential penalty for "leaving the circuit and gaining a lasting advantage."

In such instances, drivers often give the position back as soon as possible, especially once the team has been informed by the stewards that the incident is being investigated. Over team radio, Norris asked if he'd been ahead at the apex and the team incorrectly informed him that he was.

While the McLaren driver faced accusations of overtaking off the track, it was equally true that in defending the position, Verstappen's car had also left the circuit on the inside of Norris and could be deemed to have "forced another driver off the track." Both transgressions are usually punished by 10-second penalties, although there is plenty of past precedent for five-second penalties being issued if there are mitigating circumstances.

In their reasoning for issuing Norris with a five-second penalty, the stewards made reference to the "Driving Standards Guidelines" -- a non-binding set of guidelines over how drivers should go racing, intended to help stewards reach consistent rulings. It was introduced in 2022 and has been regularly updated, but is only supplied to teams and drivers and not made public.

In their statement on the incident, the stewards made reference to a section of the guidelines that says a driver overtaking on the outside loses the "right" to a corner if they are not ahead of their rival at the apex.

"[Norris] was overtaking [Verstappen] on the outside, but was not level with [Verstappen] at the apex," the stewards' statement said. "Therefore, under the Driving Standards Guidelines, [Norris] had lost the 'right' to the corner. Accordingly, as [Norris] left the track and returned in front of [Verstappen], it is deemed to be a case of leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage.

"A 5 second penalty is imposed instead of the 10 second penalty recommended in the guidelines because having committed to the overtaking move on the outside, [Norris] had little alternative other than to leave the track because of the proximity of [Verstappen] which had also left the track."

The ruling raises questions over the logic of making the apex the judging point for everything that happens in the corner thereafter. It also appears to be at odds with a separate section of the Driving Standards Guidelines that says "the car being overtaken (in this case Verstappen) must be capable of making the corner while remaining within the limits of the track."

If a driver knows they can force another driver into the run-off along with their own car simply by braking later and claiming the apex, it sets a troubling precedent. Exactly the type of precedent a driver like Verstappen, who often hits the brakes late, could take advantage of.

"For me the point that is incorrect is what Max did, which is defend his position by going off the track, and would effectively be keeping his position, which is not correct," Norris said after Sunday's race. "He went off the track by defending, and has overdefended and made a mistake, and therefore has gained from that.

"At the same time, because of that, I've had to go off the track. It's impossible for people to know if I could have made it on the track or I couldn't. You can't steward that kind of thing."

Verstappen is known for putting up a robust defence while racing for position and often leaves his braking late to retain a position. The most famous example from Verstappen's career came at the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2021 when he forced title rival Lewis Hamilton into the run off at Turn 4 at high speed.