The Qatar Grand Prix was a race of mixed fortunes for some, as the stewards handed out several penalties for on-track infractions.
The most significant of those was for Lando Norris, who was given a 10-second stop/go penalty for ignoring double-waved yellows thrown for Alex Albon’s errant mirror on the main straight.
Norris was running in second at the time and closing in on Max Verstappen for the lead of the race, but the penalty effectively put an end to that as the McLaren driver was forced to pit within three laps to serve the penalty.
Peter Windsor felt the penalty ‘robbed’ F1 fans of a battle between Norris and Verstappen on track, with the Briton eventually recovering to P10 after denying Valtteri Bottas the final point of the race.
It capped off a rollercoaster weekend for Norris, who also conceded victory to teammate Oscar Piastri in the Qatar GP Sprint in a payback move for Brazil, despite going against the wishes of the McLaren team.
Former F1 strategist Ruth Buscombe Divey has explained why she was impressed by Norris on the Fast and Curious podcast, even though the weekend could impact his chances of finishing second in the Drivers’ Championship.
Ruth Buscombe Divey impressed by Lando Norris in Qatar GP
Norris has not had the easiest run of races while in the title battle with Max Verstappen, being outscored at both the Brazil and Las Vegas Grands Prix which ultimately sealed the title for the Dutchman.
The pressure was meant to be alleviated for the Briton so he could focus on winning the Constructors’ title for McLaren, however, it appeared there was still some errors creeping in over Qatar. Buscombe Divey was impressed with how Norris handled the unwanted situation.
“I thought his accountability, he really impressed me this weekend in terms of the way he held himself,” said Buscombe Divey.
“In terms of giving the Sprint win back to Oscar even going against team orders to do that and apologising straight to the team saying ‘I’m sorry, I ruined it, that’s my fault’ I think that’s also something that has impressed me more than previous weekends.”
Lando Norris faces losing second in Drivers’ Championship to Charles Leclerc
Given the season Norris has had up until now, it would be disappointing if he finished anything lower than second in the Drivers’ Championship.
Yet he faces that very prospect in Abu Dhabi if Charles Leclerc manages to outscore him significantly, with just five points separating them.
| Charles Leclerc | Lando Norris |
| 341 | 349 |
Leclerc’s consistency in the last four races has enabled him to close the gap, while also putting Ferrari in a position to challenge McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship.
The scene is set in Abu Dhabi for a show down between the two teams, with McLaren likely keen to avoid any scrappy scenarios that could cause unwanted penalties.
