Miami Grand Prix: Three infringements in FP1 for Ocon, Doohan and Norris
Free practice in Miami brought a number of calls to order. Ocon interfered with Norris on track, Doohan was flashed too fast in the pit lane, and McLaren forgot tools in Norris's cockpit. The stewards handed out fines and warnings.
The free practice session in Miami resulted in several penalties following various incidents on track and in the pits. The stewards made decisions against Esteban Ocon (Haas), Jack Doohan (Alpine), and Lando Norris (McLaren) for separate infractions: obstruction, speeding in the pit lane, and releasing a car in a dangerous condition.
Doohan caught speeding in the pit lane
The Alpine team received a fine of 1,000 euros after Jack Doohan’s car was clocked at 97.5 km/h in the pit lane, thus exceeding the allowed limit of 80 km/h. Although the Australian driver was at the controls of the vehicle, it was the team that was financially penalized for this violation of Article 34.7 of the FIA sporting regulations.
The commissioners did not note any aggravating circumstances in this specific case, merely applying the regulatory fine without further warning for the driver.
Haas penalized, Ocon warned for impeding Norris
The stewards fined Haas €7,500 and issued a warning to Esteban Ocon for impeding Lando Norris at the entrance of turn 17. In their report, the stewards stated: « The driver of car 31 (Ocon) claimed that he had not received adequate warning about the approach of car 4 (Norris). He was receiving technical instructions over the radio while letting another car pass when he was warned about the arrival of car 4 just before the incident. »
The team confirmed that they did not alert their driver in time. While the main responsibility lies with the team, Ocon nevertheless contributed to the situation by leaving his trajectory extremely late instead of staying on the racing line, when the inconvenience had already occurred, which increased the risk of a dangerous accident. A moment that Norris described as particularly tense when he had to swerve to avoid the Haas.
McLaren receives a warning
The most unusual incident of the session involved Lando Norris and McLaren. The British team received a warning for releasing their driver’s car in dangerous conditions, in violation of article 34.14 c) of the sporting regulations.
Barely out of the garage, Norris had to inform his team of an unexpected problem: « You’ve left so many tools in the cockpit! Everything is falling apart. » Indeed, flashlights had been forgotten in the cabin of his McLaren, which posed a potentially dangerous condition.
Faced with the commissioners, the British team admitted to making an honest mistake. Norris’s quick reaction, securing the items before cautiously returning to the pits, was considered a mitigating circumstance. McLaren ultimately got away with just a warning.
