Max Verstappen has dismissed McLaren’s complaints following their controversial clash at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), insisting he acted within the rules. The Red Bull star maintains that Lando Norris should not have overtaken while off the track, leading to the incident at Turn 12.
Turn 12 Incident Sparks Debate
Norris was challenging Verstappen for third place when he attempted to pass on the outside of Turn 12. Verstappen defended the inside, briefly leaving the track before rejoining ahead of Norris. While Norris initially kept the position, the stewards ultimately penalized him five seconds, dropping him to fourth.
“It’s very clear in the rules, outside the white line you cannot pass,” Verstappen stated. “I have been done for it as well in the past – I think in 2017, or whenever it was, so I lost my podium like that. So I just remained calm, trying to do the best I could after that to bring the car to the end. It was not easy with the tyres and the situation that I was in. But overall, I still really enjoyed that battle that we had.”
Red Bull Points to Rulebook
Verstappen’s comments reference McLaren’s complaint about Red Bull’s front bib adjuster, a device that dominated the news agenda earlier in the weekend. The FIA ultimately closed the case, but the team’s frustration may have played into Verstappen’s dismissive response.
Start Battle Adds to the Drama
A similar incident occurred at the race start when Verstappen squeezed past Norris at Turn 1 despite Norris initially covering the inside line. Both drivers went off, allowing Charles Leclerc to seize the lead, ultimately winning the race. Verstappen commented on the start, saying:
“There was a gap on the inside, so I went for it. That corner is very wide, so it gives you a lot of opportunity of going very wide or trying to go really tight. I chose that option, and I still came out second this time, and it was Charles in front. I think it worked out quite well for me, because Charles was faster anyway, so he just pulled away. Today wasn’t the best race for us compared to yesterday – just struggling for balance, for grip. I couldn’t really brake, rotate the car, so quite quickly I realised that I wasn’t going to win the race, so I just tried to do my own race.”
The controversial race brought tension to the already heated rivalry between Verstappen and Norris. With points on the line, the battle continues to unfold as the 2023 Formula 1 season progresses.