McLaren has demanded an inquiry into the severe penalty given to Lando Norris at the Qatar Grand Prix, which saw him plummet from second place to tenth after being punished for ignoring yellow flags.
Team principal Andrea Stella has criticised the FIA’s decision to hand out a 10-second stop-and-go penalty – the harshest sanction available short of disqualification.
The controversial ruling has significant championship implications, cutting McLaren’s lead over Ferrari to just 21 points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi next weekend.
The call for an investigation comes amid wider concerns about the FIA’s leadership, following recent high-profile staff departures and the sudden replacement of the race director just one race ago.
Lando Norris finished 10th at the Qatar Grand Prix
Reuters
Stella sharply criticised the decision-making process, suggesting officials had simply consulted an outdated rulebook.
“To me it looks like somewhere there must be a book with a lot of dust on the cover that was taken out: ‘Let me see what it says; let me apply this,'” the McLaren team principal said.
He highlighted two crucial requirements missing from the penalty decision: proportion and specificity.
“The specificity has to do with what case are we actually considering? Is there an immediate danger for somebody? Is there a crash scene?” Stella questioned.
He added that penalties need to be “commensurate, proportionate to the severity of the infringement.”
While acknowledging Norris had failed to slow down for the yellow flags, Stella insisted the punishment was disproportionate to the offence.
The incident occurred when yellow flags were shown for debris on the pit straight – specifically a wing mirror that had fallen from Alex Albon’s Williams.
The debris remained on the track for at least three laps before being struck by Valtteri Bottas’s Sauber, causing it to shatter and spread across the circuit.
Shortly afterwards, both Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz suffered punctures to their front left tyres.
The FIA stated that “normal practice is for the safety car not to be deployed if there is a small amount of debris, and off the racing line.”
Max Verstappen landed victory at the Qatar GP
Reuters
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri questioned this approach, saying: “The right thing to do would have been a virtual safety car or a safety car pretty much straight away.”
The FIA later confirmed Norris’s penalty “was in accordance with the penalty guidelines circulated to the teams on 19 February 2024.”
The controversy unfolds against a backdrop of significant upheaval within the FIA, which has seen numerous senior officials depart this year.
The governing body has lost its sporting director, technical director, race director, chief executive officer and compliance officer in recent months.
The incident occurred when yellow flags were shown for debris on the pit straight
Reuters
When questioned about FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s leadership, Wolff noted that while the president can “fire as many people as he wants,” the key question is whether these changes improve decision-making.
McLaren has made it clear their call for a review is focused on improving future penalty decisions rather than overturning Norris’s specific sanction.
Race director Niels Wittich was dismissed just before the Las Vegas Grand Prix, with Rui Marques stepping in as his replacement. The FIA has not explained the sudden change.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff offered a scathing assessment, suggesting the situation “could have its own reality show.”
“All of us stakeholders need to bear in mind that we need to protect this holy grail of a sport and do it with responsibility, accountability and transparency. It doesn’t come across like that,” Wolff added.
McLaren were furious with the decision to hand Lando Norris the harshest possible penalty
Reuters
“We expect that this case of applying such a severe penalty will be reviewed by the FIA and there is certainly material for improvement,” Stella stated.
He emphasised the request was about “putting the sport in a better place,” adding: “I am thinking about the future of F1, not this event specifically.”
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur took a more measured stance on the controversy.
“The last 35 years of my life we all always complain about the stewards or race director,” Vasseur said. “It is at their discretion and they can put this kind of penalty.”
The FIA has promised to provide a full explanation of the decisions made during the race, though this has not yet been issued.