FIA confirm Lando Norris penalty verdict after bizarre investigation

The FIA have announced an official verdict after McLaren Formula 1 star Lando Norris was placed under investigation by the stewards at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

During lap 41 in Jeddah, Norris was placed under investigation for failing to follow race directors instructors for crossing the white line on the pit exit, although it was not clear initially whether he had placed enough of his tyre over the white line or not.

Following the investigation, the stewards opted not to hand out punishment to the No 4 driver, leaving him free to chase down the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, aiming for the DRS zone with a podium finish still in sight.

Norris was unable to catch up to the top three however, finishing just behind in P4 as team-mate Oscar Piastri not only claimed the grand prix victory but also overtook Norris in the championship standings.

Should Norris have been penalised for Saudi GP pit exit?

Looking at the incident on a replay, Sky Sports F1 commentator and former driver Martin Brundle said: “He’s alright there, isn’t he? He’s got tyre on it.”

Later, Brundle added: “I thought as long as you’ve got tyre on the line, you’re okay and you don’t completely cross the line. They’re going to have to look at that extremely closely.”

Reading from the race directors’ notes, F1 analyst Bernie Collins went on to add: “It does say that they must follow procedures at pit entry and pit exit.

“And then it lists the line that they need to be fully, as you say, to the left hand side of, that includes the entry line and that exit line.

“Onboard it was very, very difficult to see, but on that replay, I do think that that right hand front tyre is too far across and touching that white line on exit.”

Nevertheless, it was announced as Collins was sharing her opinion that the FIA had confirmed no further investigation was required, with a decision made swiftly.

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