**McLaren Questions FIA Over Controversial Yellow Flag Incident at Azerbaijan GP: Norris’ Qualifying Hopes Dashed**

McLaren initiates discussions with the FIA regarding a yellow flag deemed unnecessary

"According to the rules, it shouldn't have occurred. We faced the consequences but remain undeterred."

McLaren's team principal, Andrea Stella, thinks the FIA erred with the yellow flag that disrupted Lando Norris' qualifying session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Norris had to give up on his last lap in Q1 because Esteban Ocon was moving slowly.

Ocon experienced a flat tire and was moving at a reduced speed while making his way back to the pit lane.

As he neared Turn 16 during his last attempt in the first qualifying session, a yellow flag momentarily flashed.

Norris had to ease up on the throttle, which spoiled his lap, and then he went off track.

Norris couldn't make any progress and was knocked out in the second qualifying session, putting him in 17th place for Sunday's race in Baku.

In an interview with Sky Sports following the session, Stella expressed his irritation regarding the flag incident.

“The unfortunate aspect is that the other vehicle will start from the end of the grid tomorrow,” Stella commented. “We will strive to regain positions and reduce the impact, but clearly, it was a very unlucky incident for Lando today.”

“We were just in conversation with the FIA about the reasons behind the yellow flag being shown at that particular moment, as it proved to be very expensive.”

Stella believes that the yellow flag which interrupted Norris' lap was "unnecessary".

"The team didn't mention it earlier because it was shown at the last minute. We just verified with our tools and confirmed that it indeed appeared as a yellow flag. We've been discussing with the FIA to understand why this occurred, as a yellow flag isn't typically needed when a car is merely moving slowly and not on a fast lap," Stella clarified.

Everyone put in their maximum effort, I'm certain of that. However, there was an incident that ideally, and according to the rules, shouldn’t have occurred. We faced the consequences, but we remain determined and won’t quit.

"We'll continue forward and aim to earn some valuable points tomorrow."

The positive update for McLaren is that their vehicle is fast, as demonstrated by Oscar Piastri's performance in the qualifying round.

Piastri achieved a second-place finish, trailing only Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

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