What is a Stop-and-Go Penalty in F1?

Lando Norris 4 during the Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix in Las Vegas NV

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.

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.

Post Edited By: Aishwary Gaonkar
Lando Norris McLaren Qatar GP

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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