McLaren F1 boss delivers DAMNING FIA assessment after shock penalty issued

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

McLaren

McLaren boss delivers DAMNING FIA assessment after shock penalty issued

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was not content with F1's governing body in Qatar

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Wednesday 4 December 2024 09:12

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McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has delivered a stark warning to the FIA, offering a bold assessment of Formula 1's governing body following a controversial penalty at the Qatar Grand Prix.

Lando Norris had hoped for a strong result ahead of the main event last Sunday, starting the race in P3, however, a 10-second stop/go penalty for failing to slow under yellow-flagged conditions eliminated any such hope.

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The papaya outfit looked strong earlier in the weekend at Lusail, having led the pack during the sprint race, securing a much-needed 1-2 after Norris handed team-mate Oscar Piastri the win, with the constructors' championship now at the forefront of their minds.

After a chaotic grand prix in Qatar however, it was Piastri once again who came out on top out of the McLaren driver duo, with Norris only managing a P10 finish after the penalty which many among the paddock considered rather harsh.

Not only did Norris fall far behind the podium position of his team-mate, but it also meant Stella and his team have now been forced into a fight to the wire next time out in Abu Dhabi, with just 21 points now separating them from closest rivals Ferrari in the battle for the constructors' title.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri secured a 1-2 at the Sprint Race in Qatar

Andrea Stella was unimpressed with the penalty that cost McLaren the title in Qatar

Stella issues FIA warning

Speaking to Sky F1 following the chequered flag in Qatar, Stella said: "Well the race itself was actually unfolding in a very strong way.

"In terms of the final result with Lando, this affected the overall result dramatically by the penalty, which meant that we only came out with Lando with two points when it could have been a victory.

"Definitely we have the sense that we have missed a significant opportunity to close the matter here in Qatar."

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished ahead of Lando Norris in Qatar

Whilst Stella believed Norris being punished for not lifting under yellow flags was fair, he delivered a damning assessment of the FIA's decision-making when discussing if he had ever known such a case for it to be a 10-second stop/go penalty.

"So 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 is the responsibility of the driver to recognise that you are in a yellow sector and you need to back off," Stella continued.

"At the same time, I think it’s quite peculiar that the yellow flag was deployed and then was removed but actually the situation in that sector was the same, there was debris on track but at some time it deserved a yellow flag and then a few seconds after it didn’t which is just unfortunate I would say.

"In the application of the penalty, I think we have lost any sense of proportion and any sense of specificity, can we look specifically at the infringement at the level of danger associated to the situation and in fact the yellow flag was removed and then judge using these kind of elements, proportion and specificity rather than taking a look at any kind of rule book probably full of dust on top of it and then apply without any sense of critical approach.

"So from this point of view I think there’s an opportunity to do better from the FIA."

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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 FIA Lando Norris Qatar Grand Prix Andrea Stella