Stella gives verdict on ‘peculiar’ stop/go penalty in Qatar

McLaren’s Andrea Stella has spoken out about the penalty at the Qatar Grand Prix that forced Lando Norris to switch from fighting for victory to grappling for the final points-paying position.

The Woking outfit had a chance to secure their first constructors’ title since 1998 at the Lusail International Circuit, but the opportunity fell away from them as Norris was only able to claim two points, with Oscar Piastri crossing the line in third.

It was a strong race for the Briton who sailed past pole-sitter George Russell on the opening lap and continuously challenged Max Verstappen for the lead, especially when the Dutchman executed a nervy restart after the second Safety Car.

Norris remained in the fight before he received a 10-second stop/go penalty for failing to slow under double waved yellow flags, which essentially lost him around 35 seconds once he had served it in the pits.

’It’s peculiar’ – McLaren boss Stella reacts to Norris’s stop/go penalty in Qatar

Returning to the track last in the order, he was able to use the few remaining laps to storm back through the pack to P10, where he also set the fastest lap to ensure that McLaren left the penultimate round with a 21-point lead over Ferrari.

“We checked the data – effectively, Lando stays flat out,” Stella said in a chat with Sky Sports F1, confirming that Norris did not slow down for the yellow flags. “We have to say that the sector appeared yellow as soon as Lando had entered the sector, but the requirement is very clear.

“You need to lift and it is the responsibility of the driver to recognise that you are in a yellow sector and you need to back off. At the same time, I think it’s quite peculiar that the yellow flag was deployed and then was removed, but actually the situation in that sector was the same – there was debris on track.

“I think in the application of the penalty, I think we have lost any sense of proportion and any sense of specificity.

“Can we look specifically at the infringement, at the level of danger associated to the situation and in fact the yellow flag was removed, and then judge using these kinds of elements – proportion and specificity – rather than taking a look at any kind of rulebook probably full of dust on top of it, and then apply it without any sense of critical approach?”

2024 Qatar Grand Prix: The yellow flags moment that earned Norris a 10 second stop/go penalty

Despite the severity of the penalty, the team boss was still relatively pleased with the overall result, but acknowledged that McLaren “missed a significant opportunity to close the matter” of the constructors’ championship.

Ferrari left Qatar with marginally more points, scoring 35 across the Sprint and race while the papaya team netted 32 – the battle for the title will therefore be decided in Abu Dhabi, but McLaren undoubtedly hold the advantage.

TREMAYNE: The 2024 McLaren vs Ferrari title fight is the latest chapter of the biggest team rivalry in F1

Stella said: “[Piastri] did well in finishing on the podium – he actually lost the position because of the Safety Car which gave an advantage to [Charles] Leclerc, but this is a racing situation.

“Sometimes you gain, sometimes you lose with the Safety Car. Important points for Oscar that keep us still in a solid position in the championship.”

He added in the team’s post-race press release that they “remain focused and determined to finish the job as a team” – a victory would be enough for them to seal the title, but competition will be tight as the grid prepares to round off an unpredictable season.