McLaren ‘disagree’ with FIA as right to review Norris’ penalty rejected

McLaren have responded to the FIA’s decision to reject their right to review Lando Norris’ United States GP penalty on the grounds that an error in an FIA document is not new evidence.

Norris was slapped with a five-second penalty at the United States Grand Prix for leaving the track and gaining an advantage as he raced title rival Max Verstappen for third place.

McLaren: An incorrect classification of the race…

Norris challenged Verstappen for position at Turn 12 on lap 52 when he tried to pass around the outside. Verstappen ran them both off the track with Norris keeping his foot down and taking the position off the Dutchman in the run-off area.

He was penalised five seconds and dropped behind Verstappen in the official classification.

McLaren submitted a right of review petition with the team needing to provide evidence that met four criteria; that it is significant, that it is relevant, that it is new, and that it was unavailable to McLaren at the time of the decision.

McLaren argued that the stewards made an “incorrect” statement in the document penalising Norris as they believe he had become the defending driver when he briefly got ahead of Verstappen on the run to Turn 12.

The team claimed this was a “significant and relevant new element” that was not available to them at the time of the stewards’ decision.

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However, the FIA stewards ruled that “the concept that the written Decision was the significant and new element, or that an error in the decision was a new element, is not sustainable” and therefore rejected McLaren’s right to review.

McLaren have responded, not only stating that they disagree with the ruling but doubling down on their belief that the official classification of the United States Grand Prix was “incorrect”.

“We acknowledge the Stewards’ decision to reject our petition requesting a Right of Review,” read a statement from the team.

“We disagree with the interpretation that an FIA document, which makes a competitor aware of an objective, measurable and provable error in the decision made by the stewards, cannot be an admissible ‘element’ which meets all four criteria set by the ISC, as specified in Article 14.3.

“We would like to thank the FIA and the stewards for having considered this case in a timely manner.

“We will continue to work closely with the FIA to further understand how teams can constructively challenge decisions that lead to an incorrect classification of the race.”

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