US GP Austin

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Norris may have gone in hot, but how do we, sitting behind keyboards, know that he couldn't have actually made the corner. Or, maybe he guessed, correctly as it turned out, that Verstappen would also overcook it and not be able to make the corner, i.e. exceed track limits on the exit.

He may have also known the driving standards protocol that should have meant that he didn't gain an unfair advantage because Verstappen would, like him, exceed the track limits. Which is what the McLaren pitwall team believed.

But then the Stewards decided to interpret the protocol in a way that it wasn't written to mean.

Mostly supposition on our part of course, agree completely - and heat of the moment in competition for a place could lead with or both drivers to do pretty much anything.

One point though - the McLaren pit wall's big mistake, based on what radio we heard, was believing that Lando had been in front at the apex, which he wasn't. I suspect if they'd got that right, then they may have recommended another course of action (ie. give back the place) to their driver.