Lando Norris received a controversial 10-second stop and go penalty after failing to slow down under double yellow flags at the 2024 Qatar GP.
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The Reason For The Penalty
After losing a wing mirror on the pit straight, Alex Albon bought out the double yellow flags.
Although not on the racing line, the debris proved to be an issue for drivers attempting to overtake on the straight.
Drivers are required to slow when the double yellow flags are waved, however Norris gained 0.6s on Max Verstappen in the first sector of the lap.
Verstappen was quick to observe that Norris did not lift once the flags were waved, requesting for the incident to be noted to the Stewards.
On lap 44, Norris received his 10-second stop and go penalty for failing to slow under yellow flags, being told that he had to serve it within two laps.
Therefore, on lap 46, Norris served his penalty, dropping him into fifteenth (and last) position, with five previous driver retirements.
Norris finished the race in tenth position as well as taking fastest lap of the race, resulting in two points.
Norris’ Reaction
“Honestly, I don’t know what I’ve done wrong at the minute, apparently, I didn’t slow under the yellow. I’m not an idiot, if I knew there was a yellow, I would have slowed down. I don’t know if I missed it, or I’ve just been dumb,” observed Norris.
“The rule is that if you don’t slow down under the yellow, that’s the penalty, so it’s a fair penalty.”
When asked if today’s race was an ‘opportunity missed’, Norris replied, “Of course, I had clean air at the end, but of course it’s an opportunity missed, that’s quite obvious.”
Norris’ race was strong up until this point, gaining a position on the initial start from P3 to P2, where he stayed behind Verstappen in the race up until he served his penalty.
“Doesn’t matter now does it,” Norris stated when reflecting on his early race and continued battle with 2024 Champion Verstappen.
“I didn’t finish P2, so it doesn’t matter who I’m fighting, disappointed and I apologise to the team.”
“Same as always,” Norris replied when asked what the mindset was going to be going into Abu Dhabi, the final race of the 2024 season next weekend.
Eight points now separate McLaren and Ferrari in the Constructors Championship, after McLaren could have taken home the trophy this weekend.
However, Norris confirms he has a “high” level of optimism going into the final round.
“The team gave me a great car today so I’m thankful for the team, disappointed that I couldn’t have done a worse job that I did today, not give them the points they deserve so I’ve made the job of the team much harder than what it needs to be,” said Norris.
“The team are doing a great job, but I’ve let them down.”
Why Was The Penalty Controversial?
With the debris from Albon’s wing mirror on the track, it was argued that a Safety Car should have been deployed to clear it immediately.
On lap 34, Valtteri Bottas ran over Albon’s wing mirror, causing it to shatter on the main straight, causing punctures for both the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari of Carlos Sainz.
A safety car was eventually deployed on lap 36, with its late initiation being deemed as dangerous.
Furthermore, further arguments deem that Norris’ penalty was too harsh, with McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella stating that, “in the application of the penalty, I think we have lost any sense of proportion and any sense of specificity.”
Stella added that the situation should have been approached with “proportion and specificity, rather than taking a look at any kind of rule book” and that the penalty was applied with no “critical approach.”
Featured Image Credit: McLaren Racing
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