Norris wishes for tougher penalties if a driver obstructs a rival in qualifying
The McLaren driver expressed his frustration about the numerous disturbances during the qualifying session. The British driver demands exemplary sanctions.
This is one of the downsides of the qualifications. The drivers almost come to a stop to recharge the batteries or prepare for the next one. All of this, while others arrive at full speed, giving 100% of their effort. These situations can be dangerous and cause major accidents. While most of the time the drivers are warned, sometimes they are not.
A week ago, during the Grand Prix of Japan, this situation occurred twice, through the actions of Max Verstappen. The Dutch driver hindered two pilots, including Yuki Tsunoda, who was unable to complete any laps during Q2 and had to settle for fifteenth place on the grid.
These behaviors are then sanctioned by the FIA commissioners. A driver can receive a reprimand, grid penalties, or the team can receive a fine. But for some, this is not enough.
« The driver should look in his rearview mirrors »
« I don’t want to say too much because I will create controversy. But I think the one who blocked on the track should have been penalized. He blocked someone. It’s not only the team’s fault. I know the team received a fine, but it’s also up to the driver to look in his mirrors to see if there is someone. There’s nothing else to do during the whole lap than to look in the mirrors, and it seems like a lot of people struggle to do that », explains Lando Norris about the Verstappen/Tsunoda incident in Singapore.
« I think there should be stricter penalties for those who block others, because many do it. It ruins your lap, it ruins your qualifying, it took Yuki [Tsunoda] out of qualifying [in Q2] when he was first in Q1. No one seems to care enough about it. And it has happened often this season, it has happened to me several times, especially with certain teams. But it is also the responsibility of the driver to look in their mirrors. There is nothing else to do but press the recharge button and look in the mirrors, but some seem to struggle with that, and it is surprising in F1. »
Other drivers share Lando Norris’s opinion. They also want more clarity in the penalties, but also more consistency. On his side, Fernando Alonso proposed changing the qualifying format. He wants to go back to what was done 20 years ago, which is a warm-up lap, a timed lap, and then returning to the pits. One chance per driver, alone on the track.
