Max Verstappen crosses the line while the battle with Lando Norris escalates

Mexico City may have celebrated the Day of the Dead on Sunday, but the title battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris is very much alive.

This is largely due to the fact that the Dutchman crossed the line both literally and figuratively in the latest episode of The gripping new rivalry in Formula 1.

Ten laps in the Mexican Grand Prixthe three-time world champion, who had started second ahead of Norris, left no room for the Briton in Turn 4 as he wanted to defend his position.

The McLaren driver was forced onto the grass and returned to the track ahead of the Red Bull.

Verstappen’s foul four corners later was even more egregious.

The 27-year-old made a jump on the inside of Norris at Turn 8, a fast left-hander, and never came close to making the corner, forcing the McLaren wide.

“This man is dangerous!”, Norris told his race engineer on the radio.

The stewards took a similar view of both incidents and gave Verstappen two separate 10-second penalties.

The Dutchman served both penalties in the pits, but eventually recovered to finish sixth, while Norris took second place between the Ferraris of Sainz and Charles Leclerc.

The result means that Norris has closed the gap to Verstappen by 10 points to 47 with four races to go and 120 points up for grabs.

And the Brit was under no illusion that he would face a battle of elbow bumps and no quarter given for the rest of the season.

“I go into a race expecting a tough battle with Max,” he said.

“Obviously it doesn’t matter if he wins or comes second; his only job is to beat me in the race. And he will sacrifice himself to do that, like he did today.

Like Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, Verstappen possesses the win-at-all-costs mentality that separates the great drivers from Formula 1’s elite champions.

Norris thinks Verstappen has crossed the line

But Norris accused his rival of crossing the border into Mexico.

“I want to have good fights with him,” he said.

“I want to fight those tough fights like I have seen him fight so many times, but honest ones.

“It will always be on the line, it will always be difficult with Max. He will never make anyone’s life easy at this time of year, especially mine.

“I think it just wasn’t fair and clean racing today. That’s why I think he got his due.”

Verstappen, for his part, said the two penalties were excessive, but declined to comment further on the stewards’ decision.

“I’m not going to cry about it, and I’m not going to share my opinion,” he said.

“I just ride how I think I should ride. The biggest problem I had was that it was a bad day in terms of race pace.”

Sunday was the third time that Norris and Verstappen raced wheel-to-wheel this season.

The pair clashed in Austria in June, with the Briton forced to retire, while last week he was struck by a controversial penalty after overtaking Verstappen off the track.

Norris protested that he had been pushed next to him by his rival.

Will Verstappen keep his aggression in check?

The duo remain friends off the courtbut their relationship could be sorely tested over the next four races and Norris suggested it was time for his rival to tone down his aggression.

“I’m avoiding a crash today. This is the difference,” he said.

“I can’t speak for him, and maybe he’ll say something different. I think today was a step too far from both.

“It was clear that the stewards agreed. I don’t see it as a victory or anything like that. But it’s more that I hope Max recognizes that he has gone a step too far.”

McLaren CEO Zak Brown sang from the same hymn sheet.

“I applaud the FIA ​​stewards,” said Brown. “Enough is enough. Let’s just have some good, clean races moving forward. I think the stewards are working on it.”

What looked like a procession to a fourth consecutive world title has turned into a street battle for Verstappen, who remains winless since the Spanish Grand Prix on June 23 – although he did win the sprint race he won in Austin last week.

Don’t expect him to roll out the red carpet in Brazil next week.