Verstappen cuts gap as FIA faces fresh criticism

Max Verstappen’s podium finish in Mexico kept his championship ambitions alive — and although Lando Norris took over from Oscar Piastri as points leader, the Dutchman actually narrowed the deficit to 36.

“To be fighting for P2 after everything that happened in the first few laps is still a strong result,” said the four-time world champion. “I lost 10 points to Lando, but this weekend didn’t go perfectly. That’s the answer — you need perfect weekends to win.”

Verstappen admitted Red Bull still lacks full consistency despite its late-season recovery. “It shows we’re not quick in every scenario, and that’s what we need to understand better,” he said.

The race was not without controversy. George Russell accused the FIA of “punishing those who drive properly” after Verstappen ran across the grass at Turn 3 without penalty — sparking claims that officials are keeping the title battle artificially close.

But Red Bull’s Helmut Marko argued that the FIA’s decisions had actually worked against Verstappen, citing the late Virtual Safety Car deployed when Carlos Sainz’s Williams spun off.

“We were all 100 percent convinced that Max could still manage second place,” said Marko. “But then Sainz made a belated farewell gift to Ferrari.”

Team boss Laurent Mekies also shrugged off talk of pro-Verstappen bias. “Well, you’re talking about George,” he smiled to Canal Plus, referencing earlier friction between the pair.

Still, several rivals voiced frustration. Ferrari’s Frederic Vasseur fumed over Lewis Hamilton’s time penalty: “Max skipped the chicane at Turn 3, didn’t get a penalty, and we get ten seconds.” Fernando Alonso agreed that the FIA sometimes “looks the other way” in certain situations.

For Verstappen, the outlook remains clear. “It’s a big gap,” he told Viaplay. “We have to win every race from now on — otherwise it’s not going to happen.”

Marko remains upbeat. “Overall, we’re still competitive at all circuits,” he told Servus TV. “We didn’t find the optimal setup here. But Brazil has a sprint race and often rain — we’re optimistic.”]]>