‘I’m not at the level I need to be’ – Norris reveals he will ‘slightly’ change approach after Austin battle with Verstappen

A few days on from his intense battle with championship rival Max Verstappen at the United States Grand Prix, Lando Norris has conceded there were elements that he will “learn and progress” from.

Norris and Verstappen’s wheel-to-wheel squabbling began on the opening lap when the McLaren driver lost out to his Red Bull rival at Turn 1 and dropped to fourth, before he reeled the reigning world champion back in with a tyre off-set.

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However, while he provisionally snatched the final podium spot, Norris was promptly given a five-second penalty for overtaking Verstappen off the track – the Dutchman also putting all four wheels over the white lines in his defence.

Norris could not quite make up the difference to the chequered flag, crossing the line some four seconds clear, meaning he dropped behind Verstappen to fourth and left the Circuit of The Americas 57 points adrift in the title race.

Asked to reflect on the scrap ahead of this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix, Norris said: “I’d probably approach things in a pretty similar way. Slight tweaks here and there. Of course I didn’t come out on top in the whole battle. Things to always improve.

“I think Max is probably the best, and I’ll probably say quite confidently, he’s the best in the world in this style of defence and attacking, and those kind of things. I’m going up against the best in the world and therefore I’ve got to be at his level.

“At the minute I would say I’m not quite at the level I need to be at, and his level. It’s a shame to say, but it’s probably the truth. At the same time, it’s an experience for me to learn and progress and try and do better.

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“It was still a good battle, I still really enjoyed everything that we did last weekend. It was still a tough, exciting battle that we had on track. But of course, I want to be the one that comes out on top. I believe I rightfully was, but obviously the penalty in the end changed things around.

“Things will change a little bit, I’ll of course change my approach in a slight manner, but I don’t need to change everything.”

Pushed on whether he feels a note needs to be added to the rules to state that in a repeat scenario, both drivers should either be punished or allowed to race on without a penalty, Norris confirmed “we’ve already asked certain questions”.

“I don’t believe it [the penalty] was correct, I think the majority of people don’t agree it was correct, but that’s life and sometimes it doesn’t go your way,” he said. “I think things just need to be clear for the future on what’s allowed and what’s not.

“I think the fact of getting off your brakes to achieve just the ruling of being ahead at the apex, no matter how wide you run on the exit, it’s incorrect and I don’t think that’s how racing should be. Of course, that’s the ruling at the minute and that’s just what you’ve got to deal with.

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“I think there needs to be some tweaks, but at the same time Max races hard, that’s inevitable, it’s something I expect, I just don’t think I was in the wrong last weekend. Not necessarily do I believe I was correct, let’s say, I just don’t believe any of us were necessarily in the wrong.”

Signing off from the topic, Norris commented: “It’s not that I shouldn’t have got a penalty and he [Verstappen] should, I just don’t think any of us should have got a penalty.

“I’ve tried to overtake, I’ve done it in a way that probably isn’t the best way to do it, but he also didn’t defend or attack, whichever one you want to say it is, in a way that also applies by the rules. We were both in the wrong and therefore I think that’s racing.”