McLaren’s chances of securing their first Constructors’ title since 1998 at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix were washed away after Lando Norris’ penalty. The #4 driver was handed a 10-second stop-and-go penalty by the Stewards after he failed to slow down on the main straight during a yellow flag period.
The flags were out after Valtteri Bottas’ wing mirror came off during the race. The onboard footage of the McLaren driver on lap 30 clearly showed he had not eased off whilst the yellow flag panel was on. Red Bull reported this infringement by Norris, upon which the Stewards investigated and doled out the penalty.
But what exactly is a stop-and-go penalty in F1? Under the regulations, a stop-and-go penalty requires the driver to come into the pit lane within a stipulated number of laps. Then, the driver must go into his pit box and remain stationary for the specified duration before rejoining the race.
Lando Norris has been handed a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for not slowing sufficiently for yellow flags ⚠️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/WCBrbqjaOd
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) December 1, 2024
The most common penalty is a 10-second one. However, the FIA Stewards have the discretion of handing a shorter or longer stationary time sanction. A stop-and-go is different from a drive-through penalty (which is what Lewis Hamilton received during the Grand Prix for speeding in the pit lane).
Under a drive-through penalty, the driver must drive through the pit lane with their pit limiter engaged to hold the car under the specified pit lane speed limit before rejoining the race.
After the penalty, Norris could only recover to P10 in the dying embers of the Grand Prix. For McLaren, the stop-and-go penalty has complicated their chances of winning the constructors’ title this season — since Ferrari gained nine points in the Qatar Grand Prix.
