MEXICO CITY, Oct 26 — McLaren’s attempt to overturn Lando Norris’ US Grand Prix penalty was rejected by Formula One stewards yesterday, the governing FIA said.
The five seconds penalty in last Sunday’s race in Austin demoted title contender Norris from third to fourth, behind Red Bull’s championship leader Max Verstappen who took the last podium place.
The penalty was handed out after Norris was deemed to have left the track and gained an advantage when he overtook Verstappen four laps from the end.
Stewards recognised at the time that Norris, on the outside, had little alternative other than to leave the track due to Verstappen doing the same.
At a video conference with the stewards yesterday, and also attended by Red Bull, championship leaders McLaren first had to establish there was a “significant and relevant new element” which was unavailable when the decision was made.
The stewards decided that the team had failed to do so.
“Accordingly, as there is no relevant new element, the petition is rejected,” they said in a written ruling issued at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
McLaren had argued that Norris was actually the driver defending, rather than being the overtaker as declared in the stewards’ statement, because his car was already ahead of Verstappen in the braking zone.
The penalty left Norris 57 points behind triple world champion Verstappen with five rounds of the championship remaining including tomorrow’s Mexico City Grand Prix.
McLaren, who are leading Red Bull by 40 points in the constructors’ standings, acknowledged the decision without acceptance of it.
“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,” they said in a statement. — Reuters
