In the leaked radio message, Verstappen can be heard saying: “He went off the track. Can’t drive me off the track, so I need a position back. If he passes me now, that’s illegal.”
The early-lap drama had major consequences, dropping Norris from second to sixth before he fought his way back up. Norris himself was frustrated, telling his own team: “Yeah, he’s forced me off, mate. What am I meant to do, just drive into the wall or something? Like, I was completely alongside him, and I had to back out.”
