Verstappen says racing rules are “over-regulated” given the fallout from the US GP fight in Norris

Max Verstappen believes current Formula One racing guidelines are over-regulated as he refuted claims he never intended to reach Turn 12 in his battle against Lando Norris at the United States Grand Prix.

Both Verstappen and Norris went off the track at Turn 12 on the 52nd lap of the Austin race as Norris attempted to overtake the Red Bull driver, and Norris remained in front despite the position change being made off track.

Norris suggested that Verstappen was quite happy not to make the corner and was simply aiming to follow a line in the racing guidelines that the car was entitled to the position at the front at the apex.

Verstappen countered his point, stating that he always wanted to take the corner correctly and that it was merely a showcase of the tough racing between the two drivers.

He added that defending was made more difficult by the hard tires, which shifted grip from his front axle and made him more cautious when braking.

“It's pretty impressive that people can read my mind [with apex tactics]. It’s crazy,” said Verstappen.

“I'm always trying to turn the corner, I didn't want to look for a shortcut, so I don't even know how to answer that. We've always said we want to compete hard, that's what we like to do.

“It was a pretty difficult second stint. I lost a lot of grip on the front axle, it's very difficult to brake. That made my defense more difficult because I know that if I braked a little too late I would block high and I really didn't have the front grip.

“It wasn't easy for me out there. I think overall we still had a positive weekend for ourselves, but of course there are still a few things we want to do better to be in this fight.”

“Going into the race I honestly thought I would be in the fight and we weren’t so it wasn’t ideal. But at least there were some promising signs that we might be back in the fight.”

Verstappen joked that the rules of engagement had become so complex that he had to carry the manual with him during the race, pointing out that it had become increasingly complicated in recent years.

However, he accepted that scrapping the rules would result in stewards requiring greater vigilance against possible incidents. He added that he had “no concerns” about his driving being addressed in a future meeting with the other drivers.

“I think we've gotten to the point where I always need the book in the car! If you look at the years, the book has obviously grown quite a bit,” said Verstappen.

“It's definitely over-regulated, but then I also see the other point, if we take away rules and another incident happens… 'Oh, you need more rules! We have to be strong!'

“It's always the same. In the past we may have had fewer rules, and you have the same argument: 'You know, we have to be strong in this case and that case'. It’s always the same.”