F1 News: This Is Why Lando Norris' Lap Was Reinstated To Secure Chinese Sprint Pole

Lando Norris secures pole position for the Chinese Sprint after his deleted lap was reinstated upon review.

McLaren driver Lando Norris, right, speaks to Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen after the / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman /

In a dramatic turn of events during the final sprint qualifying session in Shanghai, Lando Norris' initially deleted lap was reinstated, securing him the pole position for the Chinese Sprint. The FIA later stated that it was a fair performance, clarifying why they reinstated the lap time.

Amidst the tumultuous weather conditions that characterized the first Sprint Qualifying of the 2024 season in Shanghai, the session took an unexpected turn during the final moments of SQ3. All drivers faced the daunting challenge of a wet track, prompting a switch to intermediate tires. While several racers struggled with grip and navigated multiple off-track excursions, Lando Norris momentarily ascended to pole position. However, his triumph was almost short-lived as his lap got deleted due to an off-track incident, only to be later reinstated by race officials.

The event saw its first round of eliminations in SQ1, where Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Alex Albon, Yuki Tsunoda, and Logan Sargeant found their qualifying cut short. By SQ2, with conditions worsening and the track officially declared wet, even top talents such as George Russell were forced out, much to the chagrin of their teams.

The rain intensified by SQ3, challenging the drivers with reduced visibility and grip. Amidst this, Charles Leclerc experienced a scare with aquaplaning but managed a quick recovery. Lando Norris, initially celebrated for clinching pole, faced a setback as his lap got disqualified for venturing off-track. The decision was eventually overturned after further review by the FIA.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, McLaren chief Andrea Stella discussed Norris' temporarily deleted lap time:

"We think it might have been because in the last before he went off at the last corner and they might have thought in this case, having been off at the last corner, it might have implications for the following lap which is the pole lap.

"That lap is completely clean, so there is no problem at all.

"It was reinstated by the FIA themselves.

"Definitely because you go off at the last corner you go off at much lower speed and effectively Lando loses almost three tenths because he has been off at the previous last corner."