McLaren F1 team 'disagree' with FIA verdict in official statement over Lando Norris and Max Verstappen controversy

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in Austin — Photo: © IMAGO

McLaren

McLaren 'disagree' with FIA verdict as team issue official statement over Norris and Verstappen controversy

McLaren and the FIA have not seen eye to eye

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Saturday 26 October 2024 16:54 Updated: 17:09

McLaren have issued an official team statement saying that they 'disagree' with the FIA's decision to uphold Lando Norris' penalty following his battle with F1 champion and Red Bull star Max Verstappen at the US Grand Prix.

News broke on Thursday that McLaren had submitted a Right of Review petition over the five-second penalty awarded to Norris that ultimately saw him finish behind Verstappen after an enthralling scrap at COTA.

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The Brit thought he had done enough to claim the final podium position ahead of his title rival, only for the stewards to deem that his overtake came from leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

Norris was quick to point out that Verstappen had also left the track, arguing that he forced him wide, but his complaints fell on deaf ears.

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen battle on track at COTA

The Red Bull star claimed the final podium spot in Austin after Norris' penalty

McLaren though have since asked the sport's governing body to review the decision over their belief that they had a significant and relevant new element to present.

Zak Brown's team believed that the stewards' statement, stating that Norris was not level with Verstappen at the apex, was an error.

McLaren F1 issue official statement after FIA verdict

Yet the FIA dismissed this claim, stating that the team's claim over an 'error' from the stewards did not meet the necessary criteria to overhaul the decision, prompting McLaren to issue an official team statement.

"We acknowledge the Stewards’ decision to reject our petition requesting a Right of Review," it read.

McLaren 'disagree' with the FIA's verdict

"We disagree with the interpretation that an FIA document, which makes a competitor aware of an objective, measurable and provable error in the decision made by the stewards, cannot be an admissible “element” which meets all four criteria set by the ISC, as specified in Article 14.3.

"We would like to thank the FIA and the stewards for having considered this case in a timely manner.

"We will continue to work closely with the FIA to further understand how teams can constructively challenge decisions that lead to an incorrect classification of the race."

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Max Verstappen McLaren FIA Lando Norris COTA US Grand Prix