Lando Norris Left Frustrated After Carlos Sainz Was Handed His P3 Back at the Monaco GP – “It’s Unfair”

A chaotic start to the Monaco Grand Prix saw Sergio Perez and both Haas cars involved in a brutal crash. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz were also involved in a minor incident, leading to Sainz stopping from a puncture. However, the bigger incident called the red flags out, leading to Sainz earning his P3 back for the restart. The decision did not sit well with Lando Norris, who had everything to gain from Sainz’s earlier stoppage. 

Quoted by Autosport, Norris wasn’t the happiest driver with the stewards’ decision. He expressed his frustrations over the same by claiming Sainz effectively earned a free pitstop. Not caring much about what the rule says, Norris said that the eventual outcome was completely unfair. 

“When you think of it in just a blunt way, it is frustrating and unfair that because someone makes a mistake and because of a certain amount of cars or whatever, whatever the rule is, didn’t cross the line before the red flag and blah, blah, that he gets to undo that mistake and gets a free pit stop. It’s unfair.”, the Briton said.

Norris wasn’t alone in deeming the situation unfair, as P5 finisher George Russell was also of the opinion. While Russell, too, was unsure of the rules, he claimed the decision was “a bit strange.” However, the Mercedes man wouldn’t be as frustrated with the ruling as Norris, given what was at stake. 

Lando Norris’ frustrations might have a deeper meaning to them

Racing on a track where overtaking is almost impossible, Lando Norris almost earned himself a free pass to a podium place. With Carlos Sainz out of the way, the Miami Grand Prix winner had a clear shot at finishing among the podium places. What’s more is that with Oscar Piastri in P2, the two teammates could have worked together to find a way to oust Charles Leclerc for the race win. 

Both Ferrari and McLaren have had at least one race win each this season. Looking to chase Red Bull down for the constructors’ championship, the Monaco GP was the perfect opportunity to cut down on the gap.

With Max Verstappen down in P6 and Sergio Perez out of the race, it was certain that both Ferrari and McLaren would come out of the weekend with more points. 

As such, a 2-3 finish for McLaren would’ve gone a long way, as they still need to chase Ferrari down first. However, it wasn’t meant to be, as the rules legally reinstated Sainz in P3, who maintained the position until the chequered flag.