McLaren team principal Andrea Stella says the United States Grand Prix stewards have "interfered in an inappropriate manner" with Lando Norris' and Max Verstappen's battle for third, as Norris took a five-second penalty for passing off-track.
Norris had caught Verstappen in their hard-tyre stint and began to exert heavy pressure on his championship rival, although each of his efforts to pass was batted away by the Dutchman's well-curated defence.
On the 45th lap, Norris drew alongside with DRS as Verstappen held the inside, and both cars ended up going off-track; Norris subsequently moved ahead of Verstappen with McLaren's pitwall content that both drivers were off the road.
However, Norris could not create a lead over Verstappen large enough to absorb the eventual five-second penalty, crossing the line 4.1 seconds ahead on track.
Stella says that he had "no doubt" that Norris took the correct action as both cars were on the run-off, suggesting that both gained an advantage.
"My view is that the way the stewards interfered in this beautiful piece of motorsport was inappropriate, because both cars went off-track," Stella told Sky F1.
"So both cars gained an advantage. It's a shame because it costs us a podium. It costs us a race where we stay patient. After we were pushed off in the first lap, first corner, we accepted it.
"Having said that, very clearly our position – this kind of decision by the stewards cannot be appealed. For us, the chapter is now closed and we move on to the next race."
Asked if there was any possibility that Norris could have returned the position, Stella felt that there was no need, stating that "we double checked that both cars went off track. For us, there was no doubt that the manoeuvre was correct."
Norris said that the time it took the stewards to make the decision to hand him a five-second penalty must had meant that it was a borderline call.
He also brought up that Verstappen's first-lap move, which also yielded the situation where both drivers were off-track, was allowed to stand - while his challenge for third was not.
"It's impossible to know [if the team asking him to give the place back would have worked out], the stewards obviously can't make their minds up for a few laps, so it's not an easy decision, or it would have come a bit sooner," Norris told Sky F1.
"I tried. He also went off the track, a few metres off the track, so clearly went in too hard, and also getting an advantage by doing what he did. But I don't make the rules.
"I need to go look at [the start] again. I was pretty tight, obviously Max went for a tight gap. From inside the car it's obviously harder to say on some things and also easier to say on some things.
"He obviously committed quite a bit, which he's got the right to do, but again, he went completely off the track, so I need to look back at it.
"He defends by going off-track, he overtakes by going off-track. But I'm not going to complain. Max drove well and he defended well, we had a good race together. But the rules are the rules."
