McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was furious with the FIA's punishment of Lando Norris in Qatar.
Stella admits her driver didn't take her foot off the gas during the first lap when the yellow flag was brought out for the rear-view mirror on the track. But the penalty is too severe (stop and go of 10 seconds).
“We have checked the data. In fact, Lando remains at full tilt. We must say that the sector appeared yellow as soon as Lando entered the sector, but the requirement is very clear, we must take our foot off the gas and that is the pilot's responsibility to recognize that he is in a yellow sector and that he must slow down.”
“At the same time, I think it's quite strange that the yellow flag was displayed and then removed when in fact the situation in that sector was the same: there was debris on the track.”
“At one point it deserved a yellow flag, and then a few seconds later it didn't, which is just unfortunate, I would say. And then in the application of the penalty, I think we we have lost all sense of proportion and all sense of specificity.”
“Can we look specifically at the offense, the level of danger associated with the situation and the fact that the yellow flag was withdrawn? And then you have to judge using those kinds of elements – proportion and specificity – rather than look at any regulation, probably with a lot of dust on it, and then apply it without any critical sense.”
“So from that point of view I think the FIA has the opportunity to do better.”
McLaren F1 could have been a few points away from sealing its first constructors' title since 1998. But Ferrari ultimately regained 9 points following this very serious penalty…
