Norris defiant over Verstappen action in F1 flashpoint

Lando Norris has rejected the idea that he simply could have let Max Verstappen reclaim position in their US Grand Prix flashpoint.

At Turn 12 in the closing laps, Norris attempted to pass title rival Verstappen around the outside, but Verstappen forced both wide and off the track - where Norris passed the Red Bull.

Normally, a driver is then informed by the team to allow the other car through. Norris, however, decided to try and pull five seconds on the Dutchman to keep the third place they had been battling over.

The Briton was eventually 4.1s ahead at the flag, meaning Verstappen pulled a further three points clear in the drivers' standings to now lead by 57 heading into this weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix.

When asked if he should have simply let Verstappen back through to negate the risk of a five-second time penalty, Norris defiantly insisted: "I know best."

"It is easy for people to say this," Norris told media including RacingNews365 when asked if McLaren needed to be more proactive with its decision-making over whether to let Verstappen through.

"My tyres were getting hotter and hotter, and my pace difference to Max was decreasing, so if I let him back past, there might not have been a chance to get past him again.

"It is just hindsight and very simply, I don't agree with a lot of people that it might have been my only chance [to pass].

"Who knows? I know best, I'm in that position, so I'll give my opinion and sometimes I'll be right, and sometimes, I'll be wrong and I don't mind if people disagree with my opinion. 

"I am just trying to do what I think is best at the time, within the rules that I believe to be correct, and all those kind of things."

Norris defends McLaren

The Briton, who has never finished on the podium in Mexico, felt McLaren's decision could have been aided by the stewards making a clear demand to cede position, but defended the team's approach.

"Sometimes it is difficult, hence why I asked the team, 'What do you think?'" he said.

"Ideally, the stewards would have come on and say, 'We don't think that was right, give the position back' and that would have been a much simpler thing to do. 

"But that is not how it works. I believed I was in the right, I've asked the team for confirmation and they believed that we were in the right, and therefore I have continued.

"We're doing a good job as a team, our approach is correct but sometimes you just don't come out on top."

McLaren has now launched a right-of-review protest against the penalty that will be heard by the Mexico City GP stewards at 14.30 local time [21.30 BST].