McLaren’s Lando Norris is among the several drivers who avoided being penalised over a race start procedure breach in the Formula 1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Starting from pole position, Norris was well-poised to cut into Max Verstappen’s championship advantage with the Dutchman lining up down in 17th place.
However, Norris didn’t bank on Lance Stroll beaching his Aston Martin in the Turn 4 gravel trap on the formation lap, which triggered an abandoned race start.
But Norris – along with Mercedes’ George Russell and RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson – incorrectly assumed a second formation lap was going ahead.
That quartet proceeded to go for a second lap of the Interlagos track without the go-ahead of the green light, with others following albeit with more reluctance.
The stewards revealed after the race got underway that the investigation would be carried out after the chequered flag, leaving the classification as provisional.
However, each driver that was called to visit the stewards has escaped without a punishment that impacts their position, meaning that the result is unchanged.
Both Norris and Russell received €5000 fines and a reprimand, but RB drivers Tsunoda and Lawson, who both ended up in the points places, were not punished.
“Although the signal was appropriately given the light panel illuminated as prescribed, and the teams notified by the messaging system, the driver left the grid and proceeded on a lap that he assumed to be an extra formation lap,” the stewards verdict said regarding Norris and Russell’s actions.
“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.
“In the opinion of the stewards, the driver precipitated the action of the drivers on the grid directly behind him.”
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