The Formula 1 world is again upside down after a remarkable development around McLaren driver Lando Norris. The British driver has officially filed a complaint against the FIA after he received the most serious fine of the past five years because of his “offensive and shocking actions” against world champion Max Verstappen during the Grand Prix of Hungary.
The incident took place just after the finish of the race, when Norris – visibly frustrated – took hard words to Verstappen, who, according to Norris, would have caught up with “aggressive and disrespectful way” during a crucial phase of the competition. Images of the paddock showed how Norris stormed furiously to the Red Bull garage, where, according to several sources, he was verbally against Verstappen and his team.
The FIA intervened quickly after viewing the images and listening to the team radios. Norris received a fine of no less than $ 250,000, a record amount since 2020, due to unsporting behavior, gross language and the discredit of a fellow driver.
To everyone’s surprise, however, Norris decided not to bow to the sanction. In a statement through his lawyers, he announced that he finds the fine unjustified, excessive and politically motivated. “I stand behind my emotions and words, even though they were raw. Max’s driving behavior was dangerous, and I rightly responded. The Fia punishes me because I dared to speak.”
His complaint at the international sports tribunal of the FIA will be processed this week.
Although Max Verstappen had not publicly discussed the incident so far, he announced through a short but meaningful response to a Dutch sports channel: “Let him talk. I win on asphalt.”
The statement, which quickly went viral, is seen as a cold -blooded reaction with which Verstappen ties his rivalry with Norris to a new level – without decreasing to throw himself to mud.
The reactions to the incident are mixed. Some find Norris’s eruption understandable in view of the tension of racing, while others believe he went over. Former driver Nico Rosberg said in an interview: “Being angry is okay, but there is a border. If you start with personal attacks on live cameras, then you are wrong.”
FIA chairman Mohammed Ben Sulayem defended the fine: “We must monitor the integrity of sport. Respect between drivers is essential.”
With the legal struggle between Norris and the FIA, and Verstappen who seems to have the last word sporty, this Saga does not seem to be over. One thing is certain: the next race promises to be loaded.
