McLaren hold FIA talks after ‘extremely costly’ yellow flag for Lando Norris

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said he has spoken to the FIA after Lando Norris slowed down for a yellow flag in the final part of Q1.

Alpine’s Esteban Ocon had been slowly making his way back to the pit lane after clipping the wall on his way around the Baku City Circuit on Saturday, but with Norris‘ final lap being slowed for a yellow flag instead of a white flag – as would be waved for a slow-moving car – he was knocked out in Q1 on Saturday.

McLaren discuss Lando Norris yellow flag with FIA after Q1 exit in Baku

Norris admitted being “a bit disappointed and frustrated” after his premature exit from qualifying, but that there was “nothing I could do” after slowing on the exit of Turn 16 – with a 2.2-kilometre stretch at full throttle to end the lap meaning he would not improve his best time.

An apology came over team radio for Norris as he pulled into his pit garage, and he is set to start the race 16th after the disqualification of Pierre Gasly for a technical infringement.

But given the nature of how he went out of qualifying, while Stella was pleased to see Oscar Piastri make it onto the front row, there was frustration at how Norris’ session unfolded.

“I think it’s good from Oscar’s side that he put all the performance together when it counted,” Stella said to Sky F1.

“Very strong to be P2 at this track, only beaten by Leclerc, who is a specialist, he’s done a few pole positions at this circuit.

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“It shows that the car is competitive in all conditions, and it shows the maturity and the speed of Oscar, so well done to him indeed.

“And the bitter element is that the other car is at the back of the grid tomorrow, and we will try and do our best to get back in the points, minimise the impact.

“But obviously that was a very unfortunate qualifying for Lando today. We were discussing now with the FIA as to why a yellow flag was displayed at that moment in time, which was extremely costly for [us] in the economy of this weekend. We will try and recover tomorrow.”

When asked to clarify if the team had told Norris there was a yellow flag or a white flag, based on the information of Ocon being a slow-moving car, Stella confirmed that the message that came through was for a yellow flag, which is what prompted the talks.

He did not go as far as apportioning blame to the governing body, though he admitted such a situation “shouldn’t have happened” as per the regulations, and Norris being “at the wrong time, in the wrong place”.

“The team didn’t say it because it was displayed last minute, and we checked right now in our tools, and it is actually displayed as a yellow,” the McLaren team principal explained.

“So, we were in conversation with the FIA as to why that happened, because the yellow flag isn’t necessary when there’s a car that is just a slow car, it’s offline.

“So, everyone tries their best. I’m sure this time, there was a situation which ideally, and I think, by the regulation, shouldn’t have happened.

“We paid the price. We don’t give up, like I say, everyone trying their best. We acknowledge that, we move on and we will do our best tomorrow to go and get some good points.”

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