Lando Norris critically out-scored the championship leader Max Verstappen at the Mexico City Grand Prix, keeping his slim title hopes alive. The British driver finished second behind Carlos Sainz and took advantage of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc making an unforced error in the closing stages. This allowed Norris to finish in second place, while his title rival Verstappen slumped to sixth place.

The pair were involved in two incidents in the Mexico City Grand Prix, which the Red Bull driver was penalised for. Norris is now 47 points behind the Dutchman and facing a tall order to clinch his first world championship at the end of the season. The McLaren driver was battling Leclerc for second place in a duel of fine margins at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Traffic played a factor in the closing stages of the Grand Prix and Norris’ race engineer, Will Joseph, made it clear over McLaren’s team’s radio that he wasn’t pleased with Franco Colapinto. Will Joseph called Franco Colapinto ‘naughty’ after holding Lando Norris up in the Mexican GPPhoto by Peter Fox – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty ImagesColapinto was battling on the fringes of the points throughout the Mexico City Grand Prix, eventually finishing in 12th place. The Argentinian driver has impressed, and Juan Pablo Montoya warned Williams that they should keep Colapinto as the Alex Albon-Carlos Sainz partnership may not work out.

In the closing stages of the race, the Williams driver was racing against Liam Lawson and Lance Stroll as he was about to be lapped by the leaders. But when Norris was on the verge of putting a lap on Colapinto, the British driver struggled to overtake the Williams stand-in towards the end of the Mexico City GP. Norris admitted over McLaren’s radio that he couldn’t get close to the Argentinian given Williams’ strong pace at times.

So, Joseph suggested using the overtake button to close the gap and enforce blue flags. Norris said: “I don’t know what to do, it’s just ruining my race now. I know I have to get closer but I can’t.

” To which, Joseph replied: “Colapinto is being a bit naughty. Push and hold overtake. ”Lando Norris may have shown his ‘fear’ of Max Verstappen in MexicoNorris needs some luck to intervene in the final four rounds if he is to take his first world championship this year.

He battled championship leader Verstappen on the track in two very controversial incidents as the pair raced for the second event in a row. Norris failed to take full advantage of the Red Bull driver’s penalties, finishing second as Sainz took the race win for Ferrari. There has been a suggestion that he may have shown Norris is scared of Verstappen on the track, as he didn’t attempt to pass his rival after the two incidents.