FIA issues clarification after F1 Qatar GP's shambolic race management
The FIA issued a clarification on moments of questionable race management during the controversial 2024 Qatar GP on Sunday. A few dodgy incidents before the first round of pit stops changed the course of the race. The sport's governing body faced a lot of criticism for their delayed response.
After a mirror from one of the cars was in the middle of the start/finish straight, the FIA decided to throw a double yellow flag but was hesitant to throw the Virtual Safety Car to allow the marshals to pick the piece up.
However, when a couple of cars got a puncture and there was debris all over the straight, they finally decided to throw a safety car. As per PlanetF1, FIA claimed:
"Normal practice is for the safety car not to be deployed if there is a small amount of debris, and off the racing line. A VSC would not have been a solution, as the cars remain spread out and there is not sufficient time for a marshal to clear the debris."
There were also some issues with the lights malfunctioning on the safety car during the second safety car period in the Qatar GP for which the governing body cited:
"All teams were verbally advised that the SC would be coming in, so the re-start took place in the normal fashion. While the reason for the malfunction was identified and fixed, out of caution, the safety car was swapped in time for its 3rd deployment."
In one of the most talked about moments of the races, FIA added that they were correct in their decision to give McLaren driver Lando Norris a 10-second stop/go penalty for not slowing down during the yellow flag. They said:
'The penalty was in accordance with the penalty guidelines circulated to the teams on 19 February 2024. A double yellow flag infringement is considered a serious compromise of safety, which is why such offenses carry such a severe penalty."
McLaren driver Lando Norris gives his take on his severe penalty during the Qatar GP
McLaren driver Lando Norris stated that he was unsure about the reason behind his severe 10-second stop-go penalty during the Qatar GP on Sunday night. Speaking with Sky Sports, the British driver said:
“Honestly I don’t know what I’ve done wrong at the minute. Apparently, I didn’t slow under the yellow. I’m not an idiot – if I knew there was a yellow I would have slowed down. I don’t know if I’ve missed it or just been dumb. But, yeah, the rule is if you don’t slow down under a yellow that’s the penalty, so it’s a fair penalty.”
The penalty denied McLaren F1 the opportunity to secure the Constructor's Championship at the Qatar GP for the first time since the 1998 season.