McLaren Fumes Over ‘Unjust’ Penalty: Andrea Stella Criticizes F1 Stewards in Norris-Verstappen Clash

McLaren's team leader criticizes F1 officials for 'unjust' penalty on Lando Norris

Andrea Stella, head of McLaren, expresses dissatisfaction with the stewards' intervention during the late-race duel between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.

McLaren's team principal, Andrea Stella, has criticized the F1 stewards for issuing what he considers an "unsuitable" penalty to Lando Norris, who is in contention for the championship.

With four laps remaining, Norris overtook his title competitor Max Verstappen for third position at Turn 12. However, he received a five-second time penalty because he executed the maneuver outside the track limits.

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As a result, Norris fell to fourth place behind Verstappen once the race concluded, allowing the Red Bull driver to widen his championship advantage to 57 points with five races remaining.

Stella expressed to Sky Sports that he believed the stewards' involvement in what was an impressive motorsport event was unwarranted, as both vehicles had gone off the track and thus both benefited from it.

"It's unfortunate because it denied us a spot on the podium. We lost a race where we showed patience despite being forced off the track at the first corner during the opening lap. We came to terms with it."

"After clearly stating our stance, we acknowledge that the stewards' decision is final and cannot be contested. With that, we consider the matter resolved and are ready to focus on future races."

Norris decided against returning the position to Verstappen, as McLaren argued that he was in front of the current world champion when they reached the peak of the turn.

When questioned about whether McLaren thought about instructing Norris to return the position, Stella responded: "We verified that both vehicles left the track. Therefore, we were confident that the move was legitimate."

Norris expressed his frustration with the stewards' ruling, claiming that Verstappen had also gone off the track.

He mentioned that it’s difficult to determine, as they struggled to reach a decision for several laps. Clearly, it wasn't a straightforward choice, or it would have been made earlier.

"I made an attempt. He veered off the path as well. Therefore, if he leaves the track, it's evident he entered too aggressively and benefited from his actions. However, I am not the one who sets the rules, so…"

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