“Robbed yet again!” Fans fume as FIA takes away Lewis Hamilton’s Chinese GP Sprint pole position in favor of Lando Norris

Lando Norris secured pole position during the Chinese GP Sprint qualifying.

“Robbed yet again!” Fans fume as FIA takes away Lewis Hamilton’s Chinese GP Sprint pole position in favor of Lando Norris

Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris (Images via IMAGO)

The Sprint Qualifying for the Chinese GP had a dramatic end to the SQ3 session. Lando Norris‘ pole-scoring lap was initially deleted, promoting Lewis Hamilton to the top spot. However, FIA decided to reinstate the 24-year-old’s lap and give back his pole position finish. This upset a majority of the fans as the authorities turned a blind eye towards the seven-time world champion.

Lando Norris‘ pole securing lap was deleted due to a track limits violation from the Briton. Norris just went too far during the last turn of the Shanghai circuit. However, he achieved the pole position as FIA snubbed the penalty for the violation and made Lewis Hamilton fall down in the pecking order. The reason behind reinstating the lap might be due to a loophole in the race director’s event notes which granted the front-row start to the McLaren starlet.

YouTube video

This was the second time FIA turned a blind eye to Norris’ mistakes. The 24-year-old had an alleged jump start at the Saudi Arabian GP. However, due to the sensors not going off, he was relaxed from the penalty. Regardless of the fiasco, Lewis Hamilton still has a promising start for the sprint race in Shanghai. Hence, the 39-year-old will aim to score a sprint race victory amidst the ground-effect era struggles of Mercedes.

Fans were unhappy with FIA’s final call to reinstate the pole-winning lap

In a recent tweet on X, multiple fans showcased their resentment toward FIA’s decision. One fan claimed that the lap should have been “taken away” regardless of the benefits to Norris. Meanwhile, another fan added that “FIA has it out for Hamilton shocker,” indicating that this wasn’t the first time FIA put Lewis Hamilton at a disadvantage. A particular fan recalled the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP and asserted that Hamilton was ‘robbed again’ by the F1 authorities.

Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO).
Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO).

Another fan highlighted that FIA was against the Mercedes driver and hence reinstated Norris’ lap. A fan made a sarcastic comment about how there was “nothing fishy” regarding the entire ordeal. Additionally, one fan claimed that FIA had some “personal issues” with Hamilton because of the favoritism. Multiple other fans sided with the former world champion and how he deserved the pole position.

Regardless of the matter, Lewis Hamilton has showcased a great comeback in the lackluster W15 at the Shanghai International Racing Circuit. The Briton has been looking strong for the first time since the season-opener in Bahrain.

Hence, all eyes will be on the 39-year-old as he will aim to achieve the sprint victory in China. On the contrary, George Russell faced a disappointing situation and was eliminated during the SQ2 session.

In case you missed it: