Norris: Verstappen knows he ‘did wrong’

SAO PAULO, Brazil — Lando Norris said his title rival Max Verstappen knows deep down that he “did wrong” in their battle for position at the Mexico Grand Prix last weekend.

Verstappen was given two 10-second penalties for separate incidents with Norris at the Mexico Grand Prix, which saw the three-time world champion finish sixth at the chequered flag while Norris went on to secure second, narrowing the gap between the two to 47 points in the standings.

Norris, who twice had to take evasive action to avoid a collision with Verstappen, described his rival’s driving as “dangerous” after the race.

Unlike after the Austrian Grand Prix, when the pair discussed their collision in private before the next round, Norris said he and Verstappen had yet to talk about what happened in Mexico.

“No, we haven’t spoken. I don’t think we need to. I’ve got nothing to say,” Norris said.

“I still have a lot of respect for Max and everything he does. Not respect for what he did last weekend, but respect for him as a person and also what he’s achieved.

“But it’s not for me to speak to him. I’m not his teacher, I’m not his mentor or anything like that.

“Max knows what he has to do, he knows that he did wrong. Deep down he does and it’s for him to change, not for me.”

Norris conceded that he has not been aggressive enough with Verstappen at times this year, but said his objective had always been to avoid collisions and finish races.

“I think I’ve always had the mentality to want to race fair and clean and sometimes I’ve been, I think I probably said it last weekend, on the too kind side, whether I was attacking or defending and things like that,” he said.

“But I think I’ve always made good decisions from that side and sometimes I’ve paid the price for not being aggressive enough. But the rest of it is not up to me.

“But I know how to keep the car in one piece. That’s something I’ve done for a while.

“Even when you don’t realise it, there are times when you have to avoid a potential crash and maybe you don’t see it behind the TV and things like that, but inside the car you know, I’m only here because I avoided this or I’ve done that or avoided this person or that person.”

Source: www.espn.com