The bomb of F1Max Verstappen receives heavy penalty at Mexican GP as Lando Norris makes ‘dangerous’ accusations

The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, with its iconic stadium section and altitude-thin air, was supposed to be Max Verstappen’s redemption arc at the 2025 Mexico City Grand Prix on October 26, but the 71-lap battle turned into a penalty-fueled farce, as the Red Bull ace was penalized a full 20 seconds (two 10-second penalties) for two controversial incidents with Lando Norris, prompting the McLaren driver to call Verstappen “dangerous” over team radio in a moment that shook the F1 paddock and lit X under #VerstappenPenalty (1.8 million mentions) with 65% of fans according to PlanetF1 polls supporting Norris’ call for accountability.

Verstappen, who started from third position after a lock-up in Q3 that had relegated him from provisional pole, jumped into first position on lap nine with a daring dive into Turn 4 on Norris, but commissioners Felipe Massa, George Andreev and Nurlana Mammadova immediately got together and their statement, published 90 minutes after the checkered flag, did not mince words: “Car 1 [Verstappen] exceeded the limits and gained the advantage at the turn 4 and turn 8, forcing car 4 [Norris] off the track: violation of article 33.3; 20 second penalty served at stops”. This “huge penalty”, the heaviest sanction in a single race since Hamilton’s relegation by three places at Monza in 2021, doubled by a pitfall error, drops Verstappen from provisional P1 to P6, costing 18 points and handing victory to Carlos Sainz ahead of Norris’ P2 and Charles Leclerc’s P3, reducing Max’s title deficit to Oscar Piastri to 70 points with four races remaining (100 points + 20 sprints).

The critical points exploded early, at the apex of Turn 4 on the tenth lap, a blind uphill right-hand bend where Norris, starting from second position in his MCL39, defended himself on the inside while Verstappen launched himself from third position, forcing the Briton to end up on the grass with a 0.2 meter squeeze that earned him 0.047 seconds in the first sector, according to the FIA ​​GPS. Norris, furious on the radio: “I was in front the whole way: this guy is dangerous; I had to avoid an accident, like last time!”. The second contact occurred at the Turn 8 chicane, where Verstappen dived again, both cars running wide and gaining 0.032 seconds off the track, allowing Leclerc to overtake him for third. Verstappen, having served his 20-second penalty on lap 15, was furious: “Ten seconds? Impressive. And turn 4? Silly, mate,” his reply echoed the 2024 US GP, where overtaking Norris off the track cost him a 5-second penalty that Max called “unfair”. The commissioners’ motivation: “Verstappen’s maneuvers were ‘outrageous’ according to Brundle, they gained a lasting advantage”, dropping him to sixth place behind Sainz’s first place (Ferrari’s first victory in Mexico since 2023), Norris’ second place and Leclerc’s third.

Norris, whose second place earned him 25 points and extended his third position in the standings (25 points behind Piastri), did not hold back post-race: “Max exaggerated, the stewards agree; I hope he recognizes it”. The Briton’s radio tirade – “I’ll hit a wall” – echoed the clash on lap 67 of Austria 2025 (Verstappen’s penalty), where Norris felt “crushed”, fueling a feud that cost Max 15 points from Monza. Verstappen, sixth place (10 points), shrugged: “Don’t cry about it, 20 seconds is a long time, but focus on the future; Mexico is finished.” His season – nine wins but third place (70 points behind) – hinges on the COTA sprint on October 19, where changes to downforce could earn him 199 points.

The penalty, the heaviest since Hamilton’s one-two in Monza in 2021 (3rd place + 5 seconds), signals the FIA’s crackdown on “dirty driving” after the 10-second overtaking between Verstappen and Russell in Spain in 2024. Massa, president of the stewards: “Verstappen’s aggression has crossed the limits: he has gained the advantage twice.” Brundle on Sky: “Outrageous: Norris drove clean; Max is the bad guy.” #NorrisDangerous by @RedBullArmy: “Envy: the contact in the race; Norris complains.”

Piastri’s P4 (18 points) maintains his 22-point lead over Norris, but Verstappen’s P6 costs him 15, with his “impressive” sarcasm in vogue. Sainz’s P1, Ferrari’s first Mexico since 2023, brings 25 points to P4 in the Constructors’ category (300, 147 behind McLaren). As the Oct. 19 sprint at COTA approaches, Verstappen’s penalty isn’t just points: it’s revenge, Norris’ accusation is a siren for fair play in F1, where aggression meets responsibility, and the ghosts of Mexico haunt the Austin summit