Lando Norris was firmly placed for a P2 finish at the Qatar GP. That was until he started pushing to challenge Max Verstappen for the race win. In the hustle for the top spot, the Briton failed to take notice of the yellow flags and did not slow down. Verstappen, who took notice of how much Norris gained on him under the yellow flag, was quick to report on the radio.
Replays from the McLaren driver’s onboard confirmed the Dutchman’s concern. Norris, at least visibly and audibly (the noise of the engine revving), did not seem to have lifted off.
Soon enough, the FIA stewards put all doubts to rest by penalizing Norris with a 10-second stop-go penalty. Andrea Stella, who agreed that his driver deserved the penalty, differed with the ‘disproportionate’ penalty.
“The application of the penalty, I think we have lost any sense of proportion, and any sense of specificity,” the McLaren boss told Sky F1 after the race.
“Can we look specifically at the infringement, at the level of danger associated to the situation, and the fact the yellow flag was removed? And then judge, using this kind of elements – proportion and specificity – rather than taking a look at any kind of rulebook, probably full of dust on top of it, and then apply it without any sense of critical approach,” Stella added.
If Norris’ offence is worth a 10-second stop/go penalty, what’s the penalty for not deploying an obviously-necessary Safety Car? #QatarGP
— Sean Kelly (@virtualstatman) December 1, 2024
The penalty cost Norris a lot more than just 10 seconds. That was because of the time he had to spend in the pit lane, where the drivers are required to slow down significantly. At Qatar’s Lusail circuit, the rules dictate the drivers to not cross the 80 kph (49.7 mph) mark.
Resultantly, Norris rejoined the grid P15 (last among the remaining runners). Ultimately, he finished P10 and bagged just two points, including one for the fastest lap.
McLaren suffers a major setback with Norris’ penalty
The penalty ended any chance of Norris bagging a podium finish at the penultimate race of the season. He is now in a vulnerable position in the drivers’ standings as Charles Leclerc finished P2 and bagged 18 points. Norris has a cushion of just eight points now to hold on to his runner-up position in the standings.
The #4 driver was angry with himself and concluded most of his post-race interviews with short responses. “I don’t know if I’ve missed it or just been dumb, but the rule is, ‘if you don’t slow down under the yellow that’s the penalty’. So, it’s a fair penalty,” he said.
Norris’ P10 finish has also put McLaren in a nervous position before the season finale in Abu Dhabi. The team needed to walk out of the Qatar GP with a 45-point lead over Ferrari to wrap up the constructors’ championship.
Coming into the Grand Prix with a 30-point lead, the papaya outfit only needed 15 more. Now, the showdown spills over to Abu Dhabi as Ferrari breathes down their neck from just 21 points behind.
