Norris calls Verstappen 'dangerous' as Sainz wins in Mexico

Lando Norris chopped Max Verstappen’s pb to 47 points and labelled his rival “dangerous” arsenic the title conflict reached boiling constituent astatine the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Verstappen was fixed 2 10-second penalties for his driving against Norris for 2 incidents successful the aforesaid thigh but inactive managed to decorativeness sixth.

Norris took 2nd place, catching and passing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for 2nd with 9 laps to go, portion Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz took a ascendant victory.

Verstappen was fixed 1 punishment for forcing Norris disconnected the way successful an incidental astatine Turn Four connected thigh 10 and different for leaving the way and gaining an vantage 4 corners later.

Verstappen fell foul of not being successful rather the aforesaid presumption arsenic helium had been successful past weekend’s United States Grand Prix.

In Austin, Norris was penalised for gaining an vantage by moving disconnected way trying to overtake the Red Bull operator and Verstappen was not punished for what galore of his rivals felt was forcing the McLaren wide.

But the cardinal constituent determination was that Verstappen was up astatine the apex of the corner, entitling him to tally to the borderline of the way according to F1’s racing rules.

In Mexico City earlier the race, galore drivers made it wide they felt Verstappen’s driving was not just successful Austin and agreed with governing assemblage the FIA that the racing guidelines needed changing to code the benignant of driving Verstappen had employed.

The guidelines were the aforesaid starring into this contention - a caller draught volition beryllium discussed successful Qatar successful 2 races’ clip - and Verstappen said that, contempt the treatment “for me, successful presumption of racing, thing changes”.

But astatine Turn Four successful this race, the quality successful this contention was that Norris managed to support his car somewhat up astatine the apex, which meant that adjacent without a alteration successful the guidelines, Verstappen was obliged to springiness him room. When helium did not, the punishment was inevitable.

Verstappen, who had been repassed by Sainz for the pb connected thigh nine, tried the aforesaid maneuver arsenic successful Austin.

Norris was attacking him connected the extracurricular of Turn Four, 3 laps aft a restart pursuing a information car caused by a first-lap crash, and Verstappen ran successful precocious connected the brakes connected the wrong and forced Norris disconnected the way connected the extracurricular of the corner.

Norris took 2nd spot from Verstappen by cutting crossed the grass, missing the right-hander that makes up the 2nd portion of the chicane astatine Turns Four and Five.

But arsenic the Briton seemingly went to fto Verstappen backmost past into Turn Eight, seeking to debar a punishment specified arsenic helium received successful Austin, Verstappen went wide connected his wrong and some cars went disconnected the track.

Norris, talking astir the Turn Four incidental implicit the radio, said: “I was up the full mode done the corner. This feline is dangerous. I person to debar a crash.”

Verstappen did not instrumentality kindly to the penalties, and his contention technologist Giampiero Lambiase told him they came aft a batch of “whingeing”.

Norris held the other constituent for fastest thigh for a agelong time, but it was initially taken from him by RB’s Liam Lawson, who stopped precocious for caller tyres, and past Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who did the aforesaid with 2 laps to go.

Sainz’s victory, coupled with Leclerc’s 3rd spot and fastest lap, moves them up of Red Bull into 2nd spot successful the constructors’ championship.

McLaren inactive lead, but Ferrari are lone 29 points down and 25 up of Red Bull.

At the front, Sainz made it 3 Ferrari wins successful the past 5 races aft taking rod position, contempt losing the pb to Verstappen connected the archetypal lap.

The contention was instantly enactment nether the information car aft a collision betwixt Williams’ Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda’s RB led to the Japanese crashing astatine the archetypal country and Albon pulling disconnected with harm aft Turn Three.

When the contention resumed, Sainz took conscionable a thigh earlier helium passed Verstappen into Turn One, aft which Norris closed in, starring to each the play betwixt the rubric contenders.

That allowed Leclerc done into 2nd spot and initially helium tracked Sainz closely, and was wrong a 2nd by thigh 14.

But helium dropped backmost a 2nd the pursuing lap, whereupon Sainz came connected the vigor to marque an unspecified ailment astir Leclerc, utilizing atrocious language.

Leclerc stayed wrong 2 seconds of Sainz for a further 3 laps, earlier starting to driblet backmost rapidly, slipping to astir 8 seconds down earlier they made their azygous pit stops.

No further communications were broadcast and determination were nary replays of immoderate mightiness person happened, truthful it remains to beryllium seen whether the drivers volition sermon it aft the race.

From that infinitesimal on, Sainz was untroubled retired front, and Leclerc was arsenic comfy successful 2nd for a agelong time.

But aft the pit stops, Norris began to devour into Leclerc’s lead. The Ferrari was 4.7 seconds successful beforehand initially but Norris chopped it backmost by 0.2secs oregon truthful a thigh until helium was connected Leclerc’s process with 10 laps to go.

Coming astir the last country connected thigh 62, Leclerc ran wide, onto the dusty extracurricular of the track, and past disconnected the circuit, and Norris swept by into 2nd place.

Behind the apical three, the Mercedes drivers were locked successful combat passim the race. Russell overtook Hamilton connected thigh 14 and stayed up until the pit stops, but the seven-time champion came backmost astatine Russell successful the 2nd stint and was connected his process with 20 laps to go.

They battled intimately for galore laps and yet Hamilton recovered a mode by into the archetypal country with 5 laps to go.

Behind them, Verstappen had nary gait aft his punishment and had a lonely contention to sixth place.

Haas’ Kevin Magnussen took seventh, up of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, eighth from 17th connected the grid, Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

Fernando Alonso, celebrating his 400th expansive prix, retired aboriginal connected with overheating brakes.

Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez had a contention to forget. He was penalised for a mendacious start, aft lining up good guardant of his grid slot, and past damaged his car successful an incidental with RB's Liam Lawson successful Turn Four.

He finished past aft Red Bull stopped him for caller tyres precocious connected for a failed effort to instrumentality fastest lap.