During the Canadian Grand Prix, McLaren’s Lando Norris received a five-second time penalty that left fans disappointed and questioning the decision made by the stewards. The penalty was imposed due to what the stewards considered “unsportsmanlike behavior.” Let’s delve into the details of this significant incident that took place in Montreal.
On lap 12 of the race, George Russell, driving for Mercedes, made contact with the outside wall of the Turn 8-9 chicane, resulting in damage that eventually forced him to retire from the race. This incident opened the pit stop window, and several drivers, including Pierre Gasly, took the opportunity to make their pit stops. With Gasly’s pit stop setting the trend, Norris, starting from eighth on the grid, had climbed to sixth position by the time the Safety Car was deployed. He found himself trailing his teammate Oscar Piastri and with Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari closely behind.
As Norris and Leclerc overtook the struggling Mercedes of Russell and approached the Turn 10 chicane, Norris received a message from his engineer informing him about the deployment of the Safety Car.
Norris’s engineer then added, “Lando, Safety Car, Safety Car, you are the second car… we are box this lap.” It seemed that McLaren had planned a double-stack pit stop for both Piastri and Norris. Consequently, Norris adopted a leisurely pace down the back straight in Montreal, aiming to create enough of a gap to facilitate a smooth tire change for both their MCL60 cars.
The stewards observed Norris’s deliberate reduction in speed and deemed it as driving slowly to intentionally create a gap for the pit stop. As a result, they handed Norris a five-second time penalty, considering his actions unsportsmanlike.
Lando Norris expressed his disagreement with the penalty, asserting that he was merely following the instructions given by his team. He argued that he adhered to the radio message and followed the team’s plan for the double-stack pit stop, emphasizing that he did not intentionally slow down to gain an advantage. Despite his objections, the stewards upheld the penalty.
Ultimately, the five-second penalty impacted Norris’s final position in the race. He dropped from his sixth-place position to 13th after serving the penalty, finishing behind his teammate Piastri and Pierre Gasly from AlphaTauri. The incident sparked discussions among fans and experts, highlighting the subjective nature of penalties in motorsport and the need for clarity in the interpretation of rules and regulations.
