FIA dish out penalty points to Max Verstappen in firm Mexico GP ...

Hit with two 10-second penalties at the Mexican Grand Prix, Max Verstappen is also halfway towards a one-race ban as the stewards later gave him two penalty points as well.

On a second successive contentious Sunday, Verstappen and Lando Norris fought wheel-to-wheel, and this time it was the Red Bull driver who found himself in hot water with the race stewards.

The reigning World Champion was hit with not one, but two, 10-second penalties for two incidents on lap 10 with Norris as he was found guilty of forcing the McLaren driver off the track at Turn 4 before deliberately running wide a few corners later to stay ahead. He was penalised for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

The 20s sanctions dropped Verstappen out of the points when he served it at his pit stop before he recovered to finish sixth. But with Norris P2 on the day, Verstappen’s lead in the Drivers’ standings was cut to 47 points.

Adding to his misery, the stewards later slapped him with two penalty points for breaching Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 b) of the International Sporting Code.

Their ruling read: “Norris was attempting to overtake on the outside of Verstappen at Turn 4. Norris was ahead of Verstappen at the entry, apex and towards the exit of the turn when he started being forced off the track.

“The Stewards believe that the manoeuvre was done in a safe and controlled manner and that Norris would have been able to make the manoeuvre on the track had he not been forced off the track by Verstappen. Norris cut the corner but immediately gave the position he gained as a result back to Sainz.”

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????The updated Drivers’ and Constructors’ standings after the Mexican States Grand Prix

Verstappen wasn’t the only driver to earn penalty points on Sunday as Franco Colapinto was hit with his first two in Formula 1.

The Williams driver clashed with fellow replacement driver Liam Lawson at the exit of Turn 2 with the stewards deeming Colapinto responsible.

“Colapinto was attempting to overtake on the outside of Lawson at Turn 1. He was not quite fully alongside at the apex and through the exit and was thus not “entitled” to racing room at the exit,” read the verdict.

“Lawson defended aggressively through to the exit of turn 1, but stayed on the track and left just enough room for Colapinto to remain on track from the exit of Turn 1, through to Turn 2, although ultimately Colapinto did leave the track.

“Both cars were on a compromised line approaching Turn 2, Colapinto more so. Lawson gave Colapinto room at the apex of Turn 2. Colapinto stayed on power which ultimately forced him wide at the exit of turn 2 and caused him to collide with Lawson’s front wing.

“While the Stewards consider most of this sequence to be fair racing, the fact that Colapinto forced the issue when he was not able to complete the pass through either corner meant that he was predominantly at fault for the collision.”

Unless Colapinto has a nightmare time in his final five races with Williams, his two penalty points are unlikely to bother him as they expire after 12 months and he does not have a race seat for next season.

He is, however, being linked to a potential seat at VCARB should Lawson, the driver he punted on Sunday, replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull.

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