FIA break silence on CONTROVERSIAL Norris penalty

The FIA have released a statement on a highly controversial penalty given to Lando Norris at the Qatar Grand Prix.

The McLaren star was hit with a 10-second stop-go penalty for failing to slow when passing double waved yellow flags which, given the recent safety car period, shunted him right to the back of the field.

READ MORE: FIA confirm late penalty after Qatar Grand Prix

The penultimate race of the 2024 calendar saw two yellow flags, multiple race restarts and five DNFs, with a plethora of FIA decisions that left fans, drivers and teams equally bemused.

The Qatar Grand Prix ascended into chaos when Alex Albon's wing mirror flew off of his Williams and was left in the middle of the track, the FIA failing to deploy a safety car to remove the debris.

This then led to a domino effect that had a major impact on the race result after Valtteri Bottas ran over the mirror, scattering tiny pieces of sharp remains all over the circuit, leading to multiple punctures across the grid.

READ MORE: FIA announce 17-driver Qatar Grand Prix penalty decision

FIA issue response over Qatar GP decision drama

The decision to not take action sooner to prevent Bottas' collision with the wing mirror has left the FIA with a lot to answer for, especially Rui Marques, the governing body's newly appointed race director.

In an official statement following the race, the FIA explained their decision-making behind the controversial moment at the Qatar GP.

"Normal practice is for the safety car not to be deployed if there is a small amount of debris, and off the racing line.

"The extensive debris after a car hit the mirror and the punctures that occurred shortly after forced the decision on a safety car.

"A VSC would not have been a solution, as the cars remain spread out and there is not sufficient time for a marshal to clear the debris."

"The FIA constantly reviews its methods and processes and will analyse further the specific scenario, and discuss it with the teams, in order to see whether in the future a different course of action needs to be taken," the statement read.

One team who have taken action against the FIA's handling of incidents at the Qatar GP is McLaren, who have now reportedly requested that an enquiry takes place following the penalty handed to star driver Norris.

After the race was double yellow flagged, Norris failed to lift under these conditions according to the FIA, which landed him with a 10-second stop/go penalty which eliminated McLaren's chance at taking home the constructors' title on Sunday.

With just 21 points separating the papaya team from Ferrari, the FIA's penalty to Norris may have intervened with the 2024 championship fight.

In response to claims that Norris' punishment was too harsh, the FIA statement declared: "The penalty was in accordance with the penalty guidelines circulated to the teams on 19 February 2024," it added.

"A double yellow flag infringement is considered a serious compromise of safety, which is why such offences carry such a severe penalty."

READ MORE: New FIA F1 chief sends new rule warning to drivers and teams

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