McLaren warn Verstappen US GP defence ‘can’t be permissible’

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has asserted Max Verstappen's staunch defence during the United States Grand Prix “can't be permissible”.

Verstappen and Norris went wheel-to-wheel for third place at the Circuit of the Americas with Norris launching a late attack on the championship leader.

The pair ran off the circuit at Turn 12 with Norris asserting he was forced wide as he emerged ahead of Verstappen, resulting in a five-second time penalty.

Stella was asked by media including RacingNews365 if it was similar to Verstappen's defence on Hamilton at Brazil in 2021, to which he replied: “That was extreme. 

“The speed at which Max missed the apex in Brazil, if you turn into Max, then it's a big crash at the time.”

Despite the Austin situation being at a much slower speed compared to Brazil, Stella warned against the incident setting a precedent.

“This one, it was much lower speed, so it could be a more benign situation,” he stated.

“But it's just the fact that you defend by going off track. This can’t be permissible.”

Stella called on the FIA to conduct an internal review to ensure a similar incident doesn't occur going forward. 

“For us, the matter is closed, the team, the drivers, we close this chapter,” he said.

“We hope that the FIA and the stewards will review the case so that in the future we will have a better policy, a better stewardship of the racing.

“We now focus on to the race the next race.”