Lando Norris was heard demanding a penalty for Max Verstappen after what he did at the start of the F1 United States Grand Prix on Sunday.
It was a fast and furious start to proceedings in Austin, Texas, with Lewis Hamilton’s race over before it even began after he ended up on the gravel and a safety car was required.
But Norris was also left furious on turn 1, accusing Verstappen of making “no attempt to make the corner” and forcing him off track.
On the team radio, the McLaren driver said that Verstappen “clearly pushed me out” and his team decided to report it to race control.
Verstappen did remain on track so there was technically no breach but the situation allowed Charles Leclerc of Ferrari to steal a march and take an early lead in the race.
But despite Verstappen avoiding any punishment, his actions were slammed by fans online.
One wrote: “Verstappen clearly pushed Norris off track. It’s a pure shame he didn’t get any penalty. #FIA encourages him to drive dirty in total impunity.”
A second said: “Proper elbows out stuff there from Verstappen off the start on Norris, allowing Leclerc to slip into the lead.”
Another angry viewer added: “Verstappen went FULLY off track into turn 1 when he pushed Norris off Another Max classic but people will say racing incident because it’s lap 1.”
A fourth fumed: “It’s an utter disgrace the FIA continues to allow Max Verstappen to drive opponents off the track and feign innocence.”
A final user reacted: “Typical Verstappen. When he wins a championship without pushing someone else off the track then he’ll be a half decent driver.”
Verstappen has won the last three Formula One World Drivers’ Championship titles and looks good value to make it a fourth triumph in a row, with Norris his closest challenger.
Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports
Topics: Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, Formula 1, Fan Reactions