Yahoo Autos Norris, Russell escape penalties for aborted start in Sao Paulo
Lando Norris and George Russell were both reprimanded and fined but avoided penalties for incorrectly carrying out the aborted start procedure in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Lance Stroll crashed on the formation lap and got stuck in the gravel when trying to recover, meaning the race could not be started as planned when the grid formed. The message from race control was ‘Aborted Start,’ meaning there would be a 10-minute grid procedure again and cars were to stay where they were.
Norris and Russell both pulled away from the front row to do another formation lap, leading to Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson behind doing the same, while the rest of the field remained in place.
“The FIA Formula 1Race Director initiated the Aborted Start procedure indicating that the drivers should not leave the grid,” the stewards’ decision read. “This message was necessary as there was a car off track in Turn 4 (STR) that needed to be recovered. 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.
“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 realizing 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.”
Norris and Russell were both deemed at fault as the front row cars — with no further action for Tsunoda and Lawson — and each driver received a reprimand and a €5000 ($5440) fine.
Mercedes was also hit with two €5000 fines for changing tire pressures with the wheels fitted to its cars on the re-formed grid, with a technical directive stating the tires should be removed for such a procedure. The stewards accepted that a delay opening the gate onto the grid and the unique layout at Interlagos were mitigating factors.
Carlos Sainz was another driver reprimanded for dangerous driving, after he drove away when marshals were tending to his car following his mid-race crash. Sainz had removed his steering wheel but then was told by Ferrari that he might be able to return to the garage, by which time marshals were already feeding the recovery loop through the roll hoop of the car. Recognizing Sainz was refitting his steering wheel, the marshals removed the loop just before the car moved.
