Max Verstappen given TWO penalties after ‘dangerous’ Lando Norris collision as McLaren accused of ‘whinging’ at Mexico City Grand Prix
Max Verstappen was handed TWO ten-second penalties after a fierce battle with F1 title rival Lando Norris at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
The Dutchman finished sixth - four places below Norris - as the battle for the drivers' championship hots up with 47 points now separating the pair.
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A week on from Norris being demoted after receiving a penalty for overtaking his rival off the track in Austin, it was Verstappen who fell foul of the stewards in Mexico as he drove the McLaren man off the track.
It took just 10 laps for the title rivals to clash again at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Norris first made a move to try and overtake the Dutchman, but a collision between both cars forced the Brit off the track.
Norris went round the outside of Verstappen at turn five and was forced wide before the Red Bull driver left the track at turn eight, with the Briton again having to leave the circuit.
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The stewards hit Verstappen with two separate 10-second penalties for the two corner incidents, with Norris saying "this guy is dangerous" over the team radio.
"I was ahead the whole way through the corner. This guy is dangerous. It's the same time as last time," Norris said.
"He overtook off the track and pushed me off."
And the authorities didn't take too kindly to Verstappen's moves as he was handed a ten-second penalty.
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"Ten, that was quite impressive," an upset Verstappen said.
“There was a LOT of whinging," a Red Bull engineer said in response.
But the punishments weren't over for Verstappen there as the FIA gave him another ten-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
The double penalty saw Verstappen fall down the leaderboard as he came sixth.
Meanwhile, Norris recovered from his earlier setbacks to claim a creditable second behind winner Carlos Sainz. Sainz's Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc came third.
Norris is now just 47 points adrift of Verstappen with 120 points left to fight for.
"I knew what to expect," Norris said on the incident with Verstappen after the race.
"I don't think I need to say much. It is pretty self-explanatory on what happened," Norris said.
"I did everything I have been told in terms of what the rules are.
"I go into every race expecting a tough battle with Max. It is clear it doesn't matter if he wins or is second, he just wants to beat me in the race.
"He sacrifices himself to do that, like he did today.
"I want to have tough battles but fair ones. It is always going to be tough with Max.
"Today was not fair, clean racing so therefore he got the penalty."
Verstappen drove back through the field after serving his penalties to finish sixth, with Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and George Russell fourth and fifth.
The three-time world champion insists he is more concerned by the lack of pace from his Red Bull car than the penalties he received.
"Yeah, 20 seconds is a lot but I am not going to cry about it and I am also not going to share my opinion," Verstappen said.
"Turn four was more of a question mark, turn eight it is what it is.
"But that is not my problem, my problem is that we are too slow. That is why I am being put in those kind of positions.";
Verstappen continues to believe he is driving the way he needs to, despite his hefty sanction.
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"I just drive how I think you have to drive. Last week that was alright, this week 20-second penalty," he added.
"It is what it is. Life goes on. I just keep racing."
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