Red Bull has argued that Lando Norris “wouldn’t have made the corner” in the initial clash that saw Max Verstappen penalised in the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix.
Verstappen was slapped with two separate 10-second time penalties concerning incidents on Lap 10 involving battles with championship rival Norris over third place.
Norris utilised his momentum with DRS to angle to Verstappen’s outside to attempt an overtake at Turn 4 when the Dutchman ran the McLaren out of road on the exit.
The FIA stewards deemed that Verstappen had not given adequate room to Norris, who still managed to take the spot as he cut the next corners to return to the track.
But that preceded the events that earned Verstappen his next punishment as an audacious lunge on Norris at Turn 7 sent both cars wide on the entrance to the esses.
Horner, though, used data that showed Norris carried “15 kilometres an hour” more into Turn 4 compared to his fastest lap to state he would have overshot regardless.
“First of all, yes, I think it was very harsh to give two 10-second penalties,” Horner told media including Motorsport Week.
“I think there’s something more fundamental.
“I mean obviously there’s been a reaction to last weekend [in Austin], and I think it’s very important for the drivers’ steward and the drivers to sit down.
“Because if I show you here on the GPS – this is on the run down to Turn 4 – this is actually Lando versus Lando,
“What you can see is that the orange line is Lando’s fastest lap of the Grand Prix, so the point he is braking for Turn 4 and then obviously executing the corner.
“What you can see, is that on lap whatever it was that’s been the incident with Max, he is 15 kilometres an hour faster, and later on the brakes than his fastest lap of the grand prix.
“He wouldn’t have made the corner. He would have run off track. You can see from his onboard steering.
“And of course at this point of the race, he’s got probably 80 kilos more fuel than at the point that he’s done his fastest lap.”
Horner warns penalties could have implications
Horner has cautioned that F1 could encourage a dangerous game in the event that a car on the outside is entitled to room because a driver brakes late to hit the apex.
“It used to be a reward of the bravest to go around the outside,” he continued.
“I think we’re in danger of flipping the overtaking laws upside down, where drivers will try to get their nose ahead at the apex and claim that they have to be given room on the exit.
“And you can see quite clearly he’s effectively come off the brakes, gone in super, super late to try and win that argument as far as the way these regulations are written.
“Then at that point you’re penalised. Now every karting circuit, every indoor karting circuit around the world, if you’ve got the inside line you control the corner.
“It’s one of the principles and the physics of racing. So they just need to get back to basics that if you’re on the outside you don’t have priority.
“Otherwise we will end up with a mess over these last five races.
“So I think it’s really important that the drivers’ steward, together with the drivers, agree [on] something that is sensible rather than what we’re getting.”
Verstappen’s second penalty ‘understandable’
However, Horner acknowledged that Verstappen’s second punishment was more reasonable, citing that it emanated from Norris electing not to surrender the position.
“The Turn 7 incident is different,” he reasoned. “I think Max was expecting Lando to give up the place, he’s obviously gone up the inside there and they’ve both run wide.
“Arguably I can understand, effectively forcing the car wide there, why there would be a penalty applicable to that.
“But I think that was the frustration of potentially Lando not giving back the place from this incident here. So these things, they only escalate.”
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