McLaren Confirmed To Fight Back Against FIA's Controversial Penalty Decision At United States Grand Prix

Saajan Jogia | Oct 25, 2024

Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; McLaren Formula 1 Team driver Lando Norris (4) of Team Great Britain drives during the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The McLaren F1 team has launched an unexpected challenge to overturn Lando Norris' 5-second penalty, which cost him third place to Max Verstappen at the United States Grand Prix in Austin. The team has requested a right of review, aiming for the FIA stewards to reverse the penalty ruling.

The race weekend at the Circuit of the Americas saw multiple drivers penalized for exceeding track limits, but the FIA allegedly applied these penalties inconsistently. This has led prominent figures like McLaren CEO Zak Brown and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff to call out the inconsistencies in penalty enforcement.

The incident involving Norris unfolded on Lap 52 at Turn 12, where he attempted to overtake Max Verstappen on the outside line while navigating the left-hander. Verstappen is said to have not only forced Norris beyond track limits but also crossed the white lines himself. Norris ultimately passed the Dutchman off-track and rejoined without giving back the position. Although he crossed the finish line in third, ahead of the Red Bull driver in fourth, the stewards imposed a 5-second penalty, pushing him down to fourth place.

The penalty dealt a serious blow to the British driver's championship bid against Verstappen, who ultimately extended his lead by 5 points after the weekend. While Verstappen’s sprint victory also contributed to his 57-point advantage, the gap would have been narrower if not for Norris’ penalty.

In a statement after the USGP, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said there was probably no evidence that the team could use to challenge the FIA's verdict. He said:

"I don't think new and relevant evidence exists.

“Because the only evidence we have used so far to assess our interpretation, which is in disagreement with the stewards, is already available.

“So, if you open up the right of review, I don't think it will ever be successful because you don't need new evidence, it is just a matter of interpretation."

However, it is most likely that the Papaya outfit has obtained fresh evidence that could overturn the penalty. Thus, just hours remaining before its 96-hour post-race window closed, McLaren filed a petition to review Norris' penalty on Thursday evening at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

The right of review hearing is set for Friday at 2:30 pm local time in Mexico City, just ahead of this weekend’s race. McLaren will need to demonstrate to the FIA that new, significant, and relevant evidence has emerged that was unavailable when the original decision was made. If McLaren succeeds, a second session of the hearing will be scheduled at a later date. Representatives from Verstappen's Red Bull team will also attend the initial hearing.

In addition, according to Sky Sports F1, Formula 1 drivers are scheduled to discuss the incident in a meeting on Friday evening in Mexico. Norris has already gained support from Lewis Hamilton, who echoed his Thursday call for adjustments to the sport's overtaking guidelines.