McLaren boss Andrea Stella disagrees with the Formula 1 stewards’ interpretation of events after the team’s right of review over Lando Norris’ United States Grand Prix penalty was rejected.
As is well documented, Norris was given a five-second penalty for passing Max Verstappen off-track at Turn 12 on Lap 52 of the United States GP.
After begrudgingly accepting the stewards’ decision, McLaren submitted a right of review days later ahead of the Mexico GP.
The Woking-based team submitted ‘new’ evidence in the form of contradicting the stewards’ original verdict, whereby Norris was named the overtaking driver.
McLaren’s representatives argued that Verstappen was the overtaking car after Norris had already passed the Red Bull driver on the approach to Turn 12.
The stewards dismissed the appeal on the grounds that the decision subject to review cannot itself be submitted as evidence.
Speaking to select media including Motorsport Week on Saturday, Stella explained why he had changed his mind regarding submitting an appeal.
“So in terms of my comments straight after the race, they related to the fact that we wouldn’t have proceeded through a right of review based on what I knew at the time,” Stella said.
“But after we read the decision it became very clear that there was a new relevant significant element to make the petition successful.
“So there was later on more information than I had available at the time.”
Stella also was under the impression that the right of review could only be submitted based on evidence such as new video footage, but added that “reading the decision it was very clear that that decision included an objective, measurable, provable error.”
The “error” referred to was the stewards stating that Verstappen was the overtaking car.
Mclaren ‘thankful’ for stewards considering case
When asked to give his personal reaction to McLaren’s right of review being thrown out, Stella said “I can only refer to the statement.”
In that statement, McLaren’s view was it “disagrees 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.”
Speaking on the rejection further, Stella said the team “disagreed” with that interpretation, admitting the team thought the evidence was “significant, relevant and new.”
Still, Stella held a diplomatic view over the entire saga.
“We remain thankful to the stewards for having considered the matter very quickly,” he said.
“We keep our, as usual, constructive, supportive approach because I think we all have to collaborate with the FIA to try and improve not only the way races are monitored by the stewards but also to have the possibility as competitors to rectify decisions that affect the final result of the race when this final result of the race is incorrect.”
READ MORE – FIA dismiss McLaren right of review over Lando Norris F1 US GP penalty
