McLaren F1 fume at 'INAPPROPRIATE' FIA punishment

A composite image of Lando Norris and Andrea Stella — Photo: © IMAGO

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McLaren fume at 'INAPPROPRIATE' FIA punishment

McLaren star Lando Norris was handed a five-second penalty at the US GP

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Tuesday 22 October 2024 11:56

McLaren Formula 1 team have taken aim at the FIA over a decision made against them in the closing stages of the United States Grand Prix.

The 19th round of the 2024 season took place at the Circuit of the Americas, with McLaren hoping star driver Lando Norris could convert his pole position into another win for the team to further their advantage over Red Bull in the constructors' standings.

F1 HEADLINES: McLaren dealt FIA blow as late US GP change CONFIRMED

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WATCH: Wolff hints at FIA bias in favour of Red Bull Racing

After Oscar Piastri's victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last month, McLaren overtook the reigning constructors champions at the top of the 2024 standings, and with just five races left, could be looking at their first team title since 1998.

A strong driver pairing of Piastri and Norris has brought Andrea Stella's outfit five wins this season, two at the hands of the young Aussie and three thanks to the British racer.

The reality, however, is that McLaren should have seen the top step of the podium much more throughout the year, but Norris' inability to convert poles to wins has let him down frequently.

At the US GP, Norris was looking at a P3 finish at best, but lost out to Verstappen in the closing stages of the race as the pair battled both on and off-track for that final podium spot.

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen fought until the chequered flag over P3 at COTA

Lando Norris received a five-second penalty at the US GP

McLaren shame FIA for US GP interference

Norris overtook Verstappen on lap 52, but went off the track round Turn 12 in order to do so. The stewards decided it was an illegal overtake, and Norris was slammed with a five-second penalty, dropping him below Verstappen at the chequered flag.

Team principal Stella revealed his issue with the FIA's decision to Sky Sports F1 following the dramatic conclusion to the grand prix, which saw his driver miss out on vital points.

"My view is that the way the stewards interfered in this beautiful piece of motorsport was inappropriate, because both cars went off-track," Stella said.

"So both cars gained an advantage. It's a shame because it costs us a podium. It costs us a race where we stay patient. After we were pushed off in the first lap, first corner, we accepted it.

READ MORE: Late US GP change CONFIRMED

Andrea Stella felt the FIA robbed McLaren of hard racing against Max Verstappen

"Having said that, very clearly our position – this kind of decision by the stewards cannot be appealed. For us, the chapter is now closed and we move on to the next race."

The race result and FIA decision cost Norris and McLaren vital points in both championships, with Verstappen now 57 points ahead of his closest rival with only five races to go.

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Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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Red Bull McLaren FIA Lando Norris United States Grand Prix Circuit of the Americas