During the Qatar Grand Prix, an incident involving McLaren driver Lando Norris sparked controversy. Norris was penalized with a severe 10-second stop-and-go penalty for failing to slow down in a yellow flag zone. This penalty had far-reaching consequences, dropping him to last for the closing laps of the race. The situation has since drawn sharp criticism from McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella, who has openly questioned the FIA’s choices this weekend.
The controversy began with Norris’s failure to slow down under yellow flags. Yellow flags serve as warning signals, in this case for debris on track from Alex Albon’s Williams. However, the rapid deployment and subsequent removal of the yellow flag led to confusion. Andrea Stella, speaking to Sky Sports F1, pointed out this inconsistency, admitting that Norris “stayed flat out” because the yellow flag appeared as soon as Norris entered the sector without ample reaction time.
Andrea Stella, who became McLaren’s team principal in 2023, has a strong background in technical performance, which underpins his critique of the FIA’s decision-making process.
“We checked the data. Effectively Lando stays flat out. We have to say that the sector appeared yellow as soon as Lando had entered the sector, but the requirement is very clear, you need to lift and it’s the responsibility of the driver to recognize that you are in a yellow sector and you need to back off.
“At some time it deserved a yellow flag, and then a few seconds after, it didn’t,” which he deemed peculiar.
Beyond the penalty itself, Stella’s comments revolved around the broader application of FIA rules.
“Can we look specifically at the infringement, at the level of danger associated to the situation and the fact the yellow flag was removed? And then judge, using this kind of elements – proportion and specificity – rather than taking a look at any kind of rulebook, probably full of dust on top of it, and then apply it without any sense of critical approach.”
The Qatar Grand Prix involved a series of incidents that contributed to an overall chaotic race. Norris’s difficulties were compounded by accusations that Lewis Hamilton “brake tested” him, as well as challenges in his attempts to overtake Max Verstappen, who maintained his lead. The race saw several incidents, including spins by Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg, which initiated the safety car’s intervention. Punctures experienced by Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton, from track debris, drew further criticism towards the FIA for their delayed response.
“There’s an opportunity to do better from the FIA,” Stella ended. McLaren will continue to battle for the Constructor’s Championship in Abu Dhabi.
