F1 news: McLaren boss criticizes FIA

During the Qatar Grand Prix, an incident involving McLaren driver Lando Norris sparked controversy. Norris was penalized with a serious 10-second stop-and-go penalty for failing to slow down in a yellow flag zone. This penalty had far-reaching consequences and dropped him to last place in the final laps of the race. The situation has since drawn sharp criticism from McLaren’s team boss Andrea Stella, who has openly questioned the FIA’s decisions this weekend.

The controversy began when Norris failed to slow down under yellow flags. Yellow flags serve as warning signals, in this case of debris from Alex Albon’s Williams on the track. However, the quick raising and subsequent removal of the yellow flag caused confusion. Andrea Stella pointed out this inconsistency while speaking to Sky Sports F1, admitting that Norris “stayed at full speed” because the yellow flag appeared as soon as Norris entered the sector without sufficient reaction time.

Andrea Stella, who became McLaren team principal in 2023, has a strong background in technical performance that underpins his criticism of the FIA’s decision-making process.

“We have checked the data. In fact, Lando remains at full throttle. We have to say that the sector appeared yellow as soon as Lando entered the sector, but the requirement is very clear, you have to lift and it is the driver’s responsibility to recognize that you are in a yellow sector and have to back down.

“At some point it deserved a yellow flag and then, a few seconds later, it didn’t,” which he found strange.

Beyond the penalty itself, Stella’s comments centered on the broader application of the FIA ​​rules.

“Can we look specifically at the violation, the level of danger involved in the situation and the fact that the yellow flag was removed? And then judge by looking at those kinds of elements – proportionality and specificity – rather than looking at anything else.” Rulebook, probably full of dust on it, and then applying it without any sense of critical approach.

A number of incidents occurred at the Qatar Grand Prix, contributing to an overall chaotic race. Norris’s difficulties were compounded by allegations that Lewis Hamilton was “testing” him, as well as challenges in his attempts to overtake Max Verstappen, who maintained his lead. There were several incidents during the race, including Sergio Perez and Nico Hülkenberg spinning, which triggered the deployment of the safety car. Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton’s punctures due to debris on the track led to further criticism of the FIA ​​for its delayed response.

“The FIA ​​offers the opportunity to do better,” concluded Stella. McLaren will continue to fight for the constructors’ championship in Abu Dhabi.