Lando Norris was quick to draw attention to his championship rival Max Verstappen’s rules infringement after the end of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver alerted his team to Verstappen overtaking him as they drove back to the pits after taking the chequered flag despite the track being under Virtual Safety Car conditions at the time.Verstappen wasn’t the only driver to pass other cars at the time. Further back, Nico Hulkenberg and both Alpine drivers did the same.
The quartet were investigated by the stewards and handed official warnings. In their decisions the stewards noted “this has happened earlier this season and was not noticed at the time.”
One of the drivers who committed the infringement earlier in the season was Norris himself, at the Australian Grand Prix.
The race ended under Virtual Safety Car conditions after George Russell crashed heavily at turn six. The VSC remained in place as drivers returned to the pits, but after passing the crash scene Norris overtook Alexander Albon as he approached turn nine and Carlos Sainz Jnr as he approached turn 11.
Other drivers ahead of him did the same. Kevin Magnussen passed both Ferrari drivers while Charles Leclerc overtook his race-winning team mate.
However with their decision in Baku the stewards have signalled a clamp-down on drivers overtaking when VSC conditions remain in place after the end of races. “We are therefore warning the driver concerned, along with all other competitors,” the stewards concluded last weekend. “Further breaches may incur significant penalties.” Norris, Verstappen and the rest may have avoided penalties on these occasions but can expect not to be so fortunate in the future.
Norris’ radio from the end of the 2024 Australian GP
| Lap: 58/58 NOR: 1’50.655 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joseph | So, Lando, you had the fastest lap. It’s just been taken. It’s a 19.8. If you want to go for it. Currently yellow flags turn six… oh, big crash. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joseph | Virtual Safety Car deployed. Virtual Safety Car deployed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norris | It’s the last lap? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joseph | Yep. Virtual Safety Car deployed. There’s ha car in pieces in the middle of the road, turn six to turn seven. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norris | Yeah. Okay. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norris | ACS button press, please. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norris | Is everyone alright? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norris | Yes, it’s Russell, he said on the radio he’s okay. It’s double yellows where you are. So we will finish the race behind this VSC now. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chequered flag | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joseph | Okay that’s P3 and no switch charges required. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norris | Well done. Awesome. First podium. Not far behind the rest. It’s getting exciting, I’m excited. Cheers everyone, good weekend, good points, awesome job. Thank you very much. Just keep pushing. We’re not far away from winning. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joseph | Good effort mate, well done. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joseph | Lando, the Medical Car is on track where the accident is so drive very slowly through there please, very slowly. Norris passes the scene of Russell’s crash |
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| Joseph | Norris passes Albon, then Sainz Okay Lando so when you come into the pit lane you’ll be directed down to the pit exit, all the way down to the exit. |
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2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
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- Norris knew Verstappen broke VSC rules in Baku because he did the same in Melbourne
Jere (@jerejj)
19th September 2024, 7:46
The fact FIA didn’t do anything in Melbourne ultimately made the lack of a sporting penalty for the relevant quartet in Baku justifiable, given no previous precedent existed, so acting retroactively would’ve been questionable, but a different matter in the future since everything’s clear about cooldown laps following a neutralized ending without any ambiguity.