F1 news LIVE: Race 2024 schedule and reaction as Lando Norris responds angrily after penalty at US Grand Prix

“I tried, he also went off the track, if he goes off the track he goes in too hard [at turn one at the start] and gains an advantage. But I don’t make the rules.

“Max went for a tight gap. From inside the car, it’s easier and harder to say at times, Max committed quite a bit. I don’t know, I need to look back. He’s overtaken by going off track [at the start]

“He defends off track, overtakes off track. Max raced well, we had a good race – the rules are the rules.”

“The way the stewards interfered with a beautiful piece of motorsport was inappropriate,” he told Sky Sports F1.

“It cost us a podium, we stayed patient and were pushed off in first corner. This kind of decision from the stewards, it can’t be appealed, we move on to the next race.

“We double-checked that both cars went off track, so there was no doubt that the manoeuvre was correct.”

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff slammed the decision-making from the FIA stewards as “biased” during the US Grand Prix on Sunday.

In an eventful race which saw numerous five-second penalties, Mercedes driver George Russell was penalised for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in a tussle with Valtteri Bottas – a decision Wolff at the time described as a “total joke.”

Lando Norris accused Formula One’s stewards of rushing their controversial decision to penalise him in his duel with Max Verstappen – a verdict the British driver called a “momentum killer” in his bid to win a maiden world crown.

Norris arrived for the US Grand Prix 52 points behind Verstappen, but he will depart Texas 57 adrift of his rival with only 146 points available over the concluding five rounds.

As Charles Leclerc raced to an impressive win at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, pole man Norris was only fourth – one place behind Verstappen – to leave him 57 points adrift in the title race with only 146 points to play for across the concluding five rounds.

Carlos Sainz took second to complete a Ferrari one-two.

Do you have sympathy with McLaren?

“No. I don’t. They complain about a lot lately, anyway. It’s clear you can’t overtake outside the white lines.”

On Norris-Verstappen incident: “The rules are pretty clear, both clearly off the circuit. You can’t overtake.

“At the end of the day, the rules are the rules – the drivers know that. That’s illegal, Max was straight on the radio. There was a whole bunch of things going on at the time.

“It’s tough when you’re on the receiving end of it, the drivers spend hours talking about this. They come to a conclusion of the laws and they all know what they are.”

“I think consistent. With Valtteri, it wasn’t even a risk. Racing for positions… and then receving that penalty is completely odd and bizarre. I think we know why, but we can’t say that on decision – and then the decision at the end.

“Sometimes there’s a correlation… when decision-making is a bit interesting.

“You said stewards. At the end of the day, it’s a difficult job, some are very good, some are trying their best. You need to salute these guys.”