Lando Norris was under investigation for an early start at the Saudi Arabian GP. However, race control decided not to take any action against the McLaren driver.
The race was filled with numerous incidents. During the race start, there was a potential jump-start by Norris. He moved the chassis forward and briefly stopped before resuming driving as intended. Consequently, he immediately expressed his frustration over the team radio regarding the mistake.
Despite the cockpit camera clearly showing a ‘jump start’, Lando Norris was not penalized after the incident was investigated. The stewards chose not to take any action, which has raised criticism about their decision.
Will Buxton, a journalist, pointed out that Norris’ departure from the grid box was not crucial, but his car did move before the start signal. Buxton referred to Article 48.1.a, which states that any car movement before the start signal should be penalized. However, it seems that the stewards may have overlooked this rule.
Regardless of whether Norris left his box or not, Article 48.1.a clearly states that any movement before the start signal should be penalized. This should have been an easy decision.
The McLaren challenger driven by Lando Norris seems to be causing him problems during the race. Despite facing issues, the Briton remains hopeful of competing with his rivals. However, a slow pit stop of 4.1 seconds further hindered his progress.
Furthermore, Norris was observed making sudden movements while braking during his battle with Hamilton for eighth place. Therefore, the driver faced multiple challenges during the Saudi Arabian GP, despite putting in a great performance. Nevertheless, the stewards overlooked Norris’ potential jump start, providing him with some relief during the race.
McLaren’s performance in the 2024 season has been on par with Mercedes. This suggests that a competition between the two teams is possible if McLaren can minimize their mistakes throughout the season. However, based on their current performance, Mercedes is likely to come out victorious over McLaren in Formula 1.