FIA Rejects McLaren’s Appeal to Overturn Lando Norris’ ‘Unsportsmanlike’ Penalty

The FIA has denied McLaren’s attempt to overturn the penalty imposed on Lando Norris for his alleged “unsportsmanlike” behavior during the Canadian Grand Prix. Norris was given a five-second time penalty for slowing down under Safety Car conditions to allow teammate Oscar Piastri to pit ahead of him without holding himself up too much. McLaren filed a petition for a right to review the penalty, but the stewards rejected it during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.

A petition for a right to review is the initial step in the process of appealing a penalty. McLaren submitted evidence to persuade the stewards that there was new, significant, and relevant information available that wasn’t considered at the time of the penalty. However, the stewards found that McLaren’s evidence did not meet the necessary criteria.

McLaren argued that a recent teams manager meeting with the FIA showed that the understanding of all teams was that the alleged infringement should not be penalized. They presented video, audio, GPS, and timing evidence from eight instances where similar actions did not result in penalties. McLaren also claimed that Alex Albon did not lose position due to Norris’ actions during the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix.

Williams disagreed with McLaren’s assessment, stating that the recent team managers’ meeting was not significant and there was no general consensus against penalizing Norris. They cited previous instances where similar actions were penalized. Williams acknowledged that at the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix team bosses’ meeting, there was an understanding that creating a gap was acceptable.

The stewards ruled that the argument regarding the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix incident involving Valtteri Bottas was significant but not new, available, or relevant. They discarded McLaren’s cited incidents as precedent, deeming them not new or relevant. Regarding Albon’s position, the stewards acknowledged its significance but found it was not new or relevant. They also emphasized the need for formal regulations to clarify drivers’ behavior under the Safety Car.

McLaren accepted the outcome of the petition decision and respected the stewards’ ruling. They expressed gratitude for the stewards’ time and collaboration while acknowledging that the evidence presented did not meet the requirements for a right to review.

The decision highlights the challenges in interpreting and applying regulations in Formula 1 and the importance of formalizing guidelines to ensure consistency in penalties and on-track behaviour.