Lando Norris only reprimanded by the FIA for incorrect starting procedure and fined €5000
It could have been much worse for Lando Norris. The McLaren driver did not follow the starting procedures this Sunday during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. But instead of disqualification, the FIA opted for a reprimand and a fine.
The FIA was rather lenient with Lando Norris. The McLaren driver was under investigation throughout the race for missing a starting procedure. He ultimately gets a hefty fine of €5,000 and a reprimand.
During the formation lap of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix this Sunday, in wet track conditions, Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) made a mistake, getting stuck in the gravel trap. This event did not result, as is sometimes the case, in a new formation lap. The FIA, seeing Stroll’s car still in the gravel trap, triggered the aborted start procedure.
This procedure requires drivers to stay in their position and wait for instructions. Usually, a red flag is displayed to allow mechanics to come back and take care of the cars on the starting grid to prevent overheating.
The FIA race director in Formula 1 initiated the aborted start procedure, indicating that drivers should not leave the grid. This message was necessary because a car had stopped off the track at turn 4 (STR) and needed to be recovered. Although the signal was given correctly, with the light panel lighting up as prescribed and the teams notified via the messaging system, a driver still left the grid and took a lap that he interpreted as an additional formation lap, explained the FIA statement.
The stewards thus considered that despite being the first to do so, it was not Norris who encouraged the other drivers to follow him.
« Since this driver was on the front row of the grid, it encouraged other drivers to take similar action. At one point, the race director, realizing that for practical reasons all drivers would now have to complete an additional formation lap, instructed the teams for all cars to do so and return to the grid to follow the correct aborted start procedure. According to the stewards, Norris did not directly cause the action of the drivers right behind him on the grid. »
Lando Norris did not have a direct advantage in taking this action. He followed the procedure incorrectly. Not being a cause of a performance gain or an advantage on the track, the FIA decided not to disqualify him.
George Russell was also reprimanded and fined the same amount by the FIA, as he was also on the front row.
Note that the other drivers who started without respecting the aborted start, behind Norris, including Lawson and Tsunoda, were not penalized or reprimanded. The FIA explained that they had started a new formation lap to follow Lando Norris.
