Christian Horner thinks Max Verstappen’s first penalty in Mexico City was “too harsh” and that Lando Norris tried “extra speed”.

Verstappen received two separate 10-second time penalties for his tactics when racing against his championship rival in Mexico, for pushing Norris off the track, as well as for going off the track and gaining an advantage.

Christian Horner ‘hard to understand’ first penalty

Verstappen’s first incident occurred as he and Norris entered Turn 4; The Dutch driver pushed the McLaren onto the grass, causing it to cut into Turn 5.

The incident took place just seven days after Norris and Verstappen fought at the American Grand Prix. Red BullVerstappen’s favorite was first to the top; This is an important note in the FIA’s Driving Guidelines for overtaking and defending.

Christian Horner said Norris was clearly aiming to keep the pace up to get to the top first at Turn 4, and the Red Bull boss also brought telemetry readings to the post-race media session to illustrate his point of view.

Horner takes to the stage as the Brazilian GP begins in earnest Sky F1 I would like to emphasize this point once again.

“I think you got some pushback from Austin in that race,” he said.

“For me, the first (punishment) was still very, very harsh.

“I understand the second one, but I think I’m still struggling to understand the first one, especially when we see the data in hindsight, you can see Lando coming off the brakes and getting extra speed.”

“He braked later than his fastest lap.”

When told Norris might try to move on a wider line, given Verstappen was there, Horner said: “I think he was just trying to get ahead.

“He carries a lot more speed and I really don’t think he can stay on the track at that point.”

“Of course the other car can’t move out of the way. Our problem with how these rules work is that you will always be taking more risks when you are out.

“The corner belongs to the inside line. “I understand that, it’s fair game, but I think the previous one is very, very difficult because it’s going to change the way these guys compete.”

With racing rules in the spotlight as recent events in the United States and Mexico highlight their importance, 1996 F1 World Champion Damon Hill asked Horner if Verstappen was trying to use the rules to his advantage and was just winning some races. I’m losing some.

“I think it’s more the opposite,” he said.

“There’s also the opposite, from the outside it’s almost like the car is following the offside rule; they’re trying to get ahead, they’re trying to show that they’re nose-first towards the top, or they’re coming off the brakes and just carrying speed.

“If you’re out there now, you inherently take more risks because the inertia of these vehicles will always carry you to the exit of the corner.”

“The car on the inside will adopt a sharper line and this is where it becomes very difficult to allow one vehicle width for the car on the outside.

“This redefines the whole tenet of how these kids race, starting with go-karts.”

More about Christian Horner and Red Bull

Inside Red Bull: Christian Horner and other key players in the Red Bull hierarchy

Max Verstappen car collection: Which supercars does the F1 World Champion own?

When told that Verstappen might be willing to take the risks he did because of the competitive disadvantage he posed to Norris, even if the Dutchman was awarded a penalty, Horner denied any malicious intent was at play.

“Not at all, we want to compete hard and fair,” he said.

“And I think this incident, among others, will undoubtedly be discussed. What you also want is consistency.

“We have seen many examples like this; Some were punished, some remained unpunished.

“I think this is where the race director and the drivers will sit down and discuss it because we all want to see a good fight until the end of the championship.”

“Max wants that and we want that as a team, but the rules of engagement need to be clear and not overly complex. It doesn’t need to be like a cricket manual to get through.”

Horner stated that he did not actively think about the text of the rules as he prepared to position Verstappen’s car in the heat of battle.

“It’s the instincts of a racing driver. “Max will always go into the void,” he said.

“It’s always going to be difficult at the top of the corners. Max has been racing for 20 years and the inside line goes towards the top, at that point he controls the corner.

“That’s what he’ll do throughout his career. I have no objection to the second one, but the first one is a tough race for me.

“He’s driving instinct at that point and with all the experience you’ve gained from your previous career.

“At this point in the braking zone he’s not thinking of a rule book. He’s fighting to maintain position.”

Read Next: Max Verstappen targets Johnny Herbert after ‘extreme accusations’ made against him