The strange scenes at the beginning of the Brazilian Grand Prix left Lando Norris and other drivers racing under the threat of a potential penalty.
Norris, who claimed pole position for the team, committed an unusual error when he pulled away from the grid when he wasn’t supposed to. Other drivers followed him, and race control later announced he was under investigation, along with fellow front row starter George Russell, and the two RB drivers who lined up immediately behind the McLaren.The problem began when Lance Stroll spun at Subida do Lago during the formation lap. His Aston Martin became stuck in a gravel trap and it became clear the start could not go ahead until it had been recovered.
Sure enough, after Norris and the other drivers due to start from the grid returned there, race control notified them the start had been aborted. This was where things started to go awry.
However Norris did not wait for the signal, and pulled away immediately. Russell, the RB drivers and eventually the rest did the same, some after observing that the correct procedure had not been followed.
Norris’ mistake was easy to recognise: He reacted as if race control had ordered an extra formation lap. This is a different regulation, which states: “If the race director decides the start should be aborted the green lights will be illuminated two seconds after the abort lights are switched on, a board saying ‘extra formation lap’ will be displayed and all competitors will be informed using the official messaging system. All cars able to do so must complete a further formation lap whilst the car which developed the problem is moved into the pit lane.”
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The two rules are intended to cover different cases. Extra formation laps are typically used when a car develops a problem on the grid and needs to be pushed away. Aborted starts are more commonly seen when there is a problem elsewhere on the track, as with Stroll’s stranded Aston Martin.
As Norris is a championship contender, the prospect he might attract a sporting penalty for a strange incident understandably generated much speculation. However the stewards instead fined him €5,000 and issued an official reprimand. Russell received the same, the stewards judging the two front row occupants influenced the reactions of the drivers behind them.
“The driver left the grid and proceeded on a lap that he assumed to be an extra formation lap,” they noted. “As the driver was on the front row of the grid this triggered following drivers to take similar action. At some point the race director realising that for practical reasons all cars would now need to do an extra formation lap gave an instruction to the teams for all cars to proceed and return to the grid to follow the correct aborted start procedure.”
Did the pair deserve their penalties, or did the stewards stay their hands, not wishing to interfere with the championship fight as far as Norris was concerned? But the question should perhaps be why were they were penalised at all.
A similar scenario played out last year at the Italian Grand Prix. Pole-winner Carlos Sainz Jnr incorrectly led the field away on an additional formation lap when the start was aborted. On this occasion, no action was taken against the Ferrari driver.
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The start was aborted at Monza last year after Yuki Tsunoda’s car failed during the formation lap. Race control announced an aborted start and displayed the abort lights on the starting gantry.
At that point, Sainz pulled away from his pole position a second time. He appeared to realise his mistake soon afterwards, asking his race engineer Riccardo Adami “we go, yeah?” as he drove towards the first corner. “Stand by, we need to check,” Adami answered. “Let me know what the race director wants me to do,” Sainz added as he drove through the chicane.
Later on in his extra tour of the track, Sainz was told there was an extra formation lap. However race control continued to follow the aborted start procedure: When Sainz and the other cars returned to the grid, their mechanics joined them and a new start time was declared, just as happened last weekend.
The incident was not placed under investigation and no driver was penalised. Norris was not as lucky on Sunday, but given how his race went once he finally got started it was the least of his problems.
NB. For clarity, the top image shows the original formation lap at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix.
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Jim from US (@jimfromus)
5th November 2024, 16:26
With NOR or RUS should have gotten a penalty but not both. Whoever went first. Because if the 2nd one is penalized then everyone else should be penalized as they followed.
Jim from US (@jimfromus)
5th November 2024, 16:26
Either NOR or RUS
amped
5th November 2024, 17:17
Everyone who went before the green light should have got a penalty, reacting to & going because other cars did is not an excuse.
They should be reacting to the start lights and not each other.
GongTong (@gongtong)
5th November 2024, 22:19
There does come a point where if some cars go, then all of them will have to go. And that point arrives quite quickly.
I imagine that they investigated the radio transmissions and found that the RBs had said something to the effect of “Why are they going? Should I just follow? We can’t stay here on our own…”.
Grapmg
5th November 2024, 17:27
At least the FIA is inconsistent again. They have to keep up a reputation. I’ve checked the onboard of Max Italy 2023. He was also at the front row waited and just like last Sunday said “it’s not green are we allowed to go?”
Jere (@jerejj)
5th November 2024, 19:26
In hindsight, Sainz not equally receiving a warning is weird.
Jojo
6th November 2024, 0:38
Maybe they didn’t want to upset the tifosi at Monza by giving a penalty to a Ferrari driver so they just pretended there was nothing to see lol.
MacLeod (@macleod)
6th November 2024, 8:06
your probaly right on this!
sam
5th November 2024, 22:11
it seems to me then, with safety being the primary concern, the team briefing needs to ensure that these guys know how to react in an aborted start, and the enforcement should be in line with any other safety infringement, not just a simple fine.
GongTong (@gongtong)
5th November 2024, 22:27
I think a fine in this case is perfectly suitable. In terms of safety there was minimal risks, a bit like Vettel getting a fine for riding a scooter back to the pits. Or any of the times that teams have left parts attached in the pits.
There was no major risk to health. The cars moving round the track were all neutralised and no different to passing a stranded car during yellow flags. And no competitive advantage was gained as all cars took the same procedure in the end. It’s an embarrassing error, I suppose, but nothing more. I’m not sure why everyone seems so upset.
M2X
5th November 2024, 23:20
Except that the last F1 driver to die, Jules Bianchi, crashed on a neutralized wet track by double yellows, while marshals were at work towing another crashed car away.
The fact nothing went wrong doesn’t mean there wasn’t major risk.
Optimaximal (@optimaximal)
6th November 2024, 8:50
I think that’s an apples and oranges comparison… There were many severe procedural errors from the FIA, the stewards, the drivers (including Bianchi) and the marshals during that event.
Didn’t data even show that many of the drivers weren’t properly observing the Double-Wave Yellows and Bianchi just happened to find a stream running across the track right at the worst point possible?
Mayrton
6th November 2024, 8:11
That makes sense to the entire world I might hope. Seems like a basic thing all drivers should be as aware off similarly to what a yellow flag means or where the break pedal is in the car. It is FIA that dropped the ball here, being all of a sudden lenient towards a safety risk – If I am not mistaken somebody died under similar circumstances. Very peculiar.
Saber01
7th November 2024, 9:56
Does anyone know why Norris was allowed to overtake three cars off track after the restart on lap 43?
He makes another mistake in turn 1 and is behind Hamilton and Alonso. At that moment he is P10, but he cuts the corner and comes back on track right in front of Tsunoda in P7.
Grapmg
8th November 2024, 18:09
I’ve noticed that as well he still lost places but he was off track behind Hamilton. He did join the track in a way that was the most save option and lost places so I think he got away with it. At some circuits they have a mandatory route marked with bollards that you have to follow to prevent this.