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FIA’s Reference to ‘Driving Standards Guidelines’ in Lando Norris Penalty Verdict Births New Mystery

Somin Bhattacharjee
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Lando Norris, McLaren F1 MCL60 during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on February 28, 2024 in Bahrain, Bahrain

A desperate Lando Norris made a bold move in the closing stages of the 2024 United States GP, to get past his championship rival Max Verstappen. However, the stewards felt Norris was being naughty, and penalized him, which gave Verstappen a huge advantage. A few days later, fresh news revealed by Ted Kravitz has raised more questions than answers.

Kravitz — an F1 expert with reliable inside information — spilled the beans on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, revealing what the FIA made of Norris’ incident with Verstappen.

Niels Wittich, the FIA race director that afternoon told the stewards, “Lando left the track and gained a lasting advantage… He was overtaking Max on the outside, but was not level with Max at the apex,” as read by Kravitz.

So far, the explanation seemed fairly straightforward. That was until Kravitz quoted Wittich talking about ‘Driving Standards Guidelines’ which Norris apparently failed to follow. Kravitz, who has been with F1 for over two decades, had no idea what that meant.

The Sky Sports presenter insisted that he didn’t know what they were, who wrote these guidelines, or how they were used in the context. Even the other hosts on the show — Matt Baker and Tom McCluskey — wondered what the ‘Driving Standards Guidelines’ were.

To add to the controversy, Kravitz also pointed out that if Wittich had gone ahead with these guidelines, Norris would have received a ten-second penalty instead of just five. All this information, while not directly transmitted live during the race, could now lead to more doubts.

Kravitz ended by reading out that the stewards had decided to punish Norris “independent of the FIA” and simply by following the ‘Driving Standards Guidelines’.

The five-second penalty Norris received dropped him from P3 to P4, further extending Verstappen’s lead in the Drivers’ Standings to 57 points. Time will tell whether McLaren and Norris appeal against the penalty or not.

Post Edited By:Aishwary Gaonkar

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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