Lando Norris narrowly escapes penalty for possibly making a false start at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The British driver had a turbulent race, starting with a near collision with a rival in the pit lane before the race began. Fortunately, they managed to avoid the accident and took their position on the starting grid. However, when the five lights went out, Norris jumped the start.
Shortly after the incident, the stewards began an investigation into Norris’ false start. The driver himself acknowledged the mistake over the team radio. However, after the investigation, no penalty was imposed on Norris for the false start. Despite this, there were some who expressed dissatisfaction with the decision, citing Article 48.1.a, which prohibits any movement before the lights go out.
Norris shared his perspective on the situation, explaining that he had stopped in time before making any significant movement that would justify a penalty. Additionally, he admitted that he had never experienced a situation like this before and was unaware of the rules related to false starts. However, the incident was thoroughly investigated, and Norris was cleared of any wrongdoing.
The British driver was baffled by the incident, as he had never faced similar issues during race starts before. He attributed his reaction to the abundance of lights at the Jeddah circuit, suggesting that he may have mistaken another light for the starting signal. Fortunately, Norris reacted quickly to his mistake and avoided a penalty at the start of the race. He had a strong performance, recovering from a slow pit stop, and finished in 8th place, just ahead of a seven-time world champion.
Looking ahead, Lando Norris will continue training and striving for better results throughout the season. McLaren has shown its ability to compete at the front of the grid alongside Red Bull and other top teams. Currently, they are ahead of Mercedes in terms of points and will likely maintain their position unless Mercedes significantly improves their car.
