In a dramatic turn of events following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Lando Norris has clarified his role in Max Verstappen’s recent FIA investigation, stating that he was merely “stating facts” when he reported Verstappen’s actions under Virtual Safety Car (VSC) conditions. This comes after Verstappen faced a potential penalty for overtaking after the chequered flag, sparking rumors that Norris’s radio message had landed the Dutchman in hot water.
After the race, Norris mentioned over the McLaren team radio, “Max is overtaking everyone. It’s still a VSC, right?” which raised eyebrows and led to Verstappen being summoned by the stewards. The FIA accused Verstappen of breaching Article 12.2.1 h) of the International Sporting Code for overtaking under VSC conditions.
Norris later clarified in an interview with F1 TV, insisting, “I didn’t complain about anything, I just stated facts. I had VSC on my dash with yellow lights, and normally with paramedics on track, that means no overtaking. I questioned it because I didn’t think it was allowed, but maybe I was wrong.”
Verstappen, surprised by the investigation, defended his actions, saying, “We crossed the line, the race was finished. There are a lot of examples this year where the same thing happened. I’m surprised.”
Lando Norris immediately telling his engineer that Max overtook people under the VSC post-race 💀pic.twitter.com/reAPCAUtm5
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) September 15, 2024
so this is where max overtook the cars under vsc
this was POST the race, after he took the chequered flag
if he gets penalized for this…. istgpic.twitter.com/wcoZFgBx4M
— Verstappen News (@verstappenews) September 15, 2024
While Verstappen received only a warning from the stewards, they warned that future breaches of VSC rules may result in more severe penalties. Despite this, the incident has added a layer of intrigue to the ongoing title fight between Norris and Verstappen, with Norris now just 59 points behind in the Drivers’ Championship.
This new chapter in the rivalry is far from over as both drivers continue to battle for the 2024 title.
