HORNER: “PENALTY GIVEN TO NORRIS IS DEFINITELY NOT OPEN FOR DEBATE”

Christian Horner supported the decision made by the stewards following the battle between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, describing the situation as “black and white.”

During the fight for the final podium position at COTA, both Norris and Verstappen went off track, with Norris returning to the circuit ahead. The stewards determined that Norris was at fault in this incident, resulting in a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage by going off track.

The Woking-based team condemned this decision. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff claimed that the FIA made a “biased” decision since George Russell received a penalty when he pushed Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas off track.

However, Horner insisted that the decision was correct, stating: “There was a fiercely competitive battle between the two.”

“Honestly, all the drivers on the grid know very well what the rules are.”

“The overtaking was done off track. In fact, I think we received a penalty in our battle against Kimi back in 2018.” (Verstappen received a penalty in 2017, losing third place to Raikkonen.)

“It was very clear to us that the overtaking was done off track, so Norris should have given the position back. But he didn’t, and that’s why he received the penalty. So for us, this was a black-and-white scenario.”“This was a really clear decision. In fact, this incident has happened so often among drivers that I believe the stewards handled it quite quickly and accurately.”

Regarding the ‘perception of inconsistency’ in the stewards’ decisions, Horner added: “I think it’s very difficult for the stewards to make decisions, and ultimately, each incident is different.”

“As I said, we’ve faced similar incidents not just at this track but at others as well. So all the drivers know what poses a danger.”

“What I didn’t understand was this: It was quite clear that McLaren would receive a penalty at that point in the race because they had gained a significant advantage. I think they decided to give the position back at Turn 1, but there was a bit of confusion there. If they had given the position back immediately, they would probably have had enough speed to overtake again.”