Lando Norris double-penalized at the Qatar Grand Prix

The weeks go by and look alike for Lando Norris. A month ago, after his second place in Mexico, the McLaren driver seemed capable of catching up and overtaking Max Verstappen by the end of the season. A hope that was short-lived. In the next race in Brazil, Dutchman Verstappen won while his rival only finished sixth. A position that Norris also occupied in Las Vegas, allowing the Red Bull driver to win a fourth consecutive driver’s title. Now assured of not becoming World Champion this year, Lando Norris still wanted to help the Woking team win its first constructor’s title since 1998.

A successful Friday before two disappointing days.

For the last sprint race of the season, the British team appeared to be the strongest. A trend that was confirmed during the sprint qualifications with Lando Norris taking pole position and Oscar Piastri finishing third. In the race, the two men achieved a double win with the Australian coming first, greatly assisted by Norris who decided to let him pass just before the finish line. While the first race went smoothly, the second one was much more frustrating for the current second in the championship.

Qualified in third position, the British driver immediately took the lead over George Russell’s Mercedes, before chasing Max Verstappen. Throughout the first part of the race, the two men were close to each other, before the winner of the Miami Grand Prix received a penalty. While a yellow flag was waved due to debris on the track, Lando Norris did not slow down, forcing the FIA to give him a 10-second stop and go penalty, which is the heaviest possible sanction in Formula 1. Coming out fifteenth, the McLaren driver could not do better than tenth place, still earning the point for the fastest lap.

Lando Norris also sanctioned after the race

While he thought his bad weekend had ended, the governing body of Formula 1 decided to sanction him for a second time. The British driver thus lost three points on his Super License. In its statement, the FIA was keen to explain the reasons for this decision: “The car 4 did not slow down for the double yellow flags,” the stewards said, citing a violation of Annex H, Article 2.5.5 b) of the FIA International Sporting Code. The telemetry and onboard audio clearly show that the driver of car 4 did not reduce his speed in the relevant sector. The waved yellow flags and yellow lights were clearly visible. A sanction accepted by Lando Norris, who did not hide his frustration, explaining that he had let the team down even though he knows well that slowing down under yellow flags is one of the main rules in Formula 1.

His boss, Andrea Stella, nevertheless wanted to comfort him, emphasizing the valuable help he provided to McLaren for the team to be in first place in the constructors’ standings before the final round in Abu Dhabi. “What I can say is that we are in a position to approach the final race leading the championship,” the Italian told the media. “And this is thanks to the incredible work of our two drivers, who have allowed us to lead the constructors’ standings. Lando has been the main contributor to this situation. Of course, today, pain and disappointment dominate for him. But at the same time, we can only be grateful for what he has achieved for the team.”

A title to be sought for McLaren.

However, with this result at the Qatar Grand Prix, Ferrari closed the gap to McLaren to 21 points. An advantage that is still significant, but could quickly decrease if the British team has a similar weekend to the one in Losail. Be careful not to spoil everything in Abu Dhabi and see both titles slip away this season.