Controversy at Monaco: Norris Claims Unfair Advantage as Sainz Reclaims P3 After Red Flag Incident

"Lando Norris feels it's unjust" – Norris is displeased with the decision to restore Carlos Sainz to third place in Monaco

Lando Norris expressed his dissatisfaction, deeming it "unjust" that Carlos Sainz was allowed to reclaim the third position at the Monaco Grand Prix following the red flag incident.

Lando Norris expressed his irritation with the FIA's ruling to restore Carlos Sainz to third place following the red flag incident at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The competition was halted with a red flag on the very first lap of Sunday's race.

Currently, Charles Leclerc was in the lead of the race, with the two McLaren drivers trailing behind, while Sainz fell to the last position because of a tire puncture that happened after colliding with Oscar Piastri.

Once the race resumed, Sainz was permitted to begin from his initial starting spot, which was third on the grid.

The FIA ruled this out since not all vehicles had crossed the initial sector timing mark at Mirabeau.

According to the rules governing Formula 1 sports, the lineup for a race resumption is established based on the last moment when the placement of every vehicle could be clearly identified. Following this, all cars in question are allowed to rejoin the ongoing sprint session or race.

Sainz's return to the race altered its dynamics significantly, as without him, Leclerc would have had to battle against both McLarens alone.

After the race, Norris labeled the circumstances as "unjust".

"He expressed his belief that it may not be entirely just, but acknowledged that there could have been instances in the past where he possibly benefited from similar situations, suggesting that perhaps there were times when his car received some advantageous adjustments."

"Putting it plainly, it's both annoying and unjust that simply because an error was made, and due to the specific number of vehicles or any other regulation, didn't manage to cross the line prior to the red flag and so on, that individual is allowed to rectify that error with a complimentary pit stop. It's inequitable."

Mercedes racer George Russell concurred as well.

"That's inaccurate. I'm not entirely sure of the specifics of the decision. However, that did seem somewhat unusual."

McLaren's leader, Andrea Stella, believed that the FIA applied the regulations accurately, despite the fact that his team was adversely affected.

"Stella shared his thoughts on the method used to decide the restart order, expressing his belief that the FIA's approach was the optimal choice."

"Furthermore, this aligns with the established practice of employing safety car line two when sector times are inaccessible. I believe relying on mini sectors is not an effective method for this purpose."

Clearly, Carlos's saving grace was the fact that Zhou hadn't completed the sector by the time the race was halted. Fortunate indeed for Carlos.

"In my opinion, Carlos had fortune on his side today, especially with the stewards being rather forgiving. The incident at the first corner clearly resulted in considerable damage to Oscar's vehicle, which really highlights the obstruction from the previous day. As I mentioned, Carlos was fortunate, and this ultimately helped him secure a spot on the podium."

Explore Further

Recent Updates

Recent Updates

Site Navigation

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

Copying or reproducing any part of the text, photos, or images in any way is strictly forbidden.