Lando Norris claims Max Verstappen deserved a penalty for Impeding at the Singapore GP 

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc also questioned the leniency of penalties given to Red Bull by the FIA.

Lando Norris claims Max Verstappen deserved a penalty for Impeding at the Singapore GP 

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen (Via IMAGO)

The ‘supposed’ leniency over penalties towards Red Bull has stirred discussions among the drivers after the Singapore Grand Prix. Looking ahead to the Japanese GP, McLaren’s Lando Norris reflected on the Singapore qualifying incident, where Max Verstappen received only reprimands instead of grid penalties for impeding incidents.

The controversy started from two incidents involving Max Verstappen. The first incident involved blocking Yuki Tsunoda on the track. The stewards attributed much of the blame to the Red Bull team for insufficient communication, and the second incident occurred when Verstappen blocked the pitlane exit, causing a queue of cars to be held up. As a result, reprimands were issued instead of the more common grid penalties for such situations. 

https://youtu.be/NrVH7Bgc-0I?si=XBnNzQaFN5oMyBKZ

This incident further led drivers to question FIA’s approach toward Red Bull Racing. Lando Norris expressed his frustration, stating that no one is taking these matters seriously enough. He pointed out that such incidents have occurred frequently during the season, and it’s not the first time it has happened, especially involving certain teams.

FS Video

“But I think the blocking one on track was the one that should have been a penalty. He blocked someone. It’s not just down to the team. I know the team got the fine in the end of the day, but it should be down to the driver as well……And it’s happened a lot this season, especially with certain teams,” said Lando Norris, as reported by Motorsports.com

Discover: Max Verstappen expects Lando Norris’s McLaren to be his biggest rival at Suzuka GP

Alex Albon questioned Red Bull’s Sergio Perez escaping with a minimal penalty

Alex Albon raised questions about another incident that occurred during the Singapore GP. Sergio Perez received a five-second penalty for forcing the Williams driver off the track, resulting in him losing a valuable eighth-place position.

Alex Albon (Via IMAGO)
Alex Albon (Via IMAGO)

In response to the penalty, Albon suggested that it should have been more severe. He mentioned that the situation is a bit tricky and emphasizes the importance of consistency, not only for drivers but also for teams.

“For example, you can take my incident with Checo when he has a five second penalty. It’s consistent with everything else. But is it really fair? Maybe not. So I do think there needs to be flexibility in some ways,” said Alex Albon.

Drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc also questioned the leniency of penalties given to Red Bull by the FIA. They emphasized their commitment to working with the FIA for penalty consistency and acknowledged room for improvement. They anticipated discussing these issues further in the upcoming briefing.

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