‘The way the stewards interfered with a beautiful piece of motorsport was inappropriate’ – Stella's verdict on Norris penalty

McLaren boss Andrea Stella has branded the stewards’ decision to hand Lando Norris a penalty for his overtake on Max Verstappen in Austin as “inappropriate”.

McLaren found themselves at odds with race control after Norris passed Verstappen on Lap 52, landing him with a five-second time penalty for gaining an advantage off the track.

WATCH: Relive the epic battle between Norris and Verstappen in the dramatic closing stages of the US Grand Prix

Heading into Turn 12, Verstappen had the inside line as the Briton tried to pass around the outside – both veered wide over the white line and when they came back on track, Norris had fought his way ahead.

The penalty meant he officially finished fourth, behind Verstappen, and missed the chance to score his 12th podium finish of the 2024 season. But McLaren were adamant that he was in the right and should have kept the position.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race, Team Principal Stella said: “My view is that the way the stewards interfered with a beautiful piece of motorsport was inappropriate because both cars went off track so both cars gained an advantage.

“It’s a shame because it cost us a podium, it cost us a race where we stayed patient after we were pushed off in the first lap, the first corner. We accepted it. Having said very clearly our position, this kind of decision by the stewards cannot be appealed.”

READ MORE: ‘I think I did the correct thing’ – Norris stands by approach to Verstappen battle in Austin after penalty

In radio messages broadcast during the Grand Prix, Norris’ race engineer told him that he was ahead of the Dutchman at the apex of the corner, which could have been a key factor in determining if the pass was legal.

Stella then elaborated on this in a written media session, claiming that the more relevant issue is that Verstappen drove straight on rather than attempting to make the corner himself.

“We checked the video multiple times – it’s just going straight, it’s [Verstappen] just going off track as much as Lando is doing, just giving no chance for Lando to complete the manoeuvre,” Stella said. “If I were a journalist I would have done a bit of statistics – how many times has Max used this way for defending?

“Both cars go off track so I think both cars are gaining an advantage, if there’s an advantage gained. For us this manoeuvre was at least neutral, but when I saw that there was an investigation I was pretty sure that was because Max pushed Lando off the track. In fact, we told immediately Oscar, make sure you close five seconds on Max because there could be a position at stake.”

READ MORE: 'I have my opinion' – Verstappen reflects on ‘hard' battle with Norris as McLaren driver penalised in Austin

The change in the final podium result allowed Verstappen to extend his lead over Norris in the drivers’ championship to 57 points with just five rounds left to race.

When every result is crucial for McLaren, Stella added that the stewards should take more time to deliberate their decisions and not be pressured by the time constraints of the race.

“The interpretation of this situation between McLaren and the stewards is polar opposite,” he continued. “I am surprised the stewards didn’t even feel the need to discuss with the drivers after the race.

READ MORE: 6 Winners and 5 Losers from the United States Grand Prix – Who left Austin with a spring in their step?

“It is an uncertain situation – get the opinion of the drivers, get the time to assess the situation with the level of details that is required when the situation is not so clear. Where is the urgency to interfere with the result of a race, with a championship [at stake], just because you have to make the decision in 60 seconds?

“It’s a question mark that I think the stewards should take constructively, positively. Is it really needed to make a decision so quickly and, in our opinion, so wrongly?

“I don’t want to look like I’m criticising people – I’m just criticising the approach. Being a steward is such a difficult job so if you are uncertain, give yourself time, give yourself the way to be as accurate as possible.”