Norris criticizes the possibility of changing tires under a red flag
Lando Norris had a complicated Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, notably due to the first red flag that occurred after Mick Schumacher's crash. The English driver expressed his displeasure about one of the rules that come with a red flag.
After a good seventh place in qualifying, Lando Norris saw his race change drastically after the red flag for the incident with Mick Schumacher. The McLaren driver had changed his tires just before the red flag came out, and therefore lost a lot of positions and time. Norris then falls to 16th and last place.
A strategy that worked against the Briton, while all the other drivers who had not stopped under the safety car regime were able to benefit from a free tire change during the red flag. A rule strongly disapproved by Norris.
« It may be the worst rule ever invented by someone, being able to change tires under a red flag. It ruined our race today. It feels like we do so many things right just to have everything taken away. It sucks because the team did a good job. I thought the car was pretty decent. But it’s just crap, the rule ruins everything. », explains Lando Norris after the race.”
A disappointment for the McLaren driver who is going through a tough period. But this rule benefited his teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, who was able to take advantage of a free pit stop and finish the race in 5th place as a result.
« It’s always a pleasant track to drive on. But when you feel like you’ve put in so much effort to get one point, I think it’s like my fourth consecutive result with one or two points, it’s just hard to take. »
“I didn’t have any luck with that, Daniel was lucky with it and finished fifth so I guess there is also a positive side to it. If we both boxed, it would probably be one of the worst days you could imagine,” says Norris.
The McLaren team is going through a tough end to the season, resulting in a third place in the constructors’ championship secured by Ferrari, which has a 38.5-point lead.
