The recent penalties given to F1 title contenders Lando Norris and Max Verstappen in recent races were different. Let’s take a look at what key decision led the stewards to decide.

In the U.S. Grand Prix, Lando Norris was given a 5-second penalty for overtaking Max Verstappen off the track. A week later in Mexico, Verstappen received a 10-second penalty for a similar track limits violation, which also included forcing another driver off the track. The incident in Mexico occurred when the two drivers clashed at Turn 7, just a few moments after Verstappen pushed Norris off-track at Turn 4. For both moves, Verstappen received two 10-second penalties, which he served together in a pit stop that hurt his race.

Verstappen’s harsher penalty made many people wonder if he was treated more strictly than Norris. Even Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, suggested the penalty might have been a reaction to events in Austin.

However, FIA sources confirmed that a 10-second penalty is standard for aggressive moves like the one Verstappen made in Turn 7, where he went off the track and gained an advantage.

Yet, in Austin, the stewards decided Norris’s penalty should be lighter—5 seconds—due to how Verstappen was defending, which was described as aggressive. This happened at Turn 12, where both cars briefly left the track. F1 rules allow stewards to choose penalties from five to ten seconds, or more serious drive-through or stop-and-go penalties, depending on the situation.

After the Mexico Grand Prix, Verstappen commented, “Honestly, 20 seconds is a lot, but I’m not going to cry about it or share my opinion.”

Norris said, “In Austin, I don’t think anyone should have gotten a penalty,” adding, “We both kind of made mistakes.”

He continued, “I feel like I was forced into making an error. Most drivers think the same way, which is why you’re hearing about possible rule changes. I think Mexico was a whole different level.”