Lando Norris is right – F1 must scrap silly rule after Brazil GP drama | F1

It was Max Verstappen who delivered a brutal blow in Sunday’s Drivers’ Championship battle, but it could easily have been Lando Norris on the top step of the podium had it not been for the intervention of one of F1’s most pointless and antiquated rules . .

When Norris and the race leader George Russell exiting the pit lane on lap 29 with fresh intermediate tires in virtual safety car conditions, this looked like smart work from McLaren and Mercedes garages.

However, four laps later Franco Colapinto crashed the barriers hard, bringing out the red flag. Norris and Russell knew what was coming and both drivers sent dejected messages to their teams.

Esteban OconVerstappen and Pierre Gasly they all stayed out of VSC, which promoted them into the clear leading trio when they changed tires for free in red flag conditions. According to FIA regulations, drivers can make a mandatory stop when the race is stopped in this way.

Russell and Norris, meanwhile, were shuffled back into the pack and struggled to make up significant ground afterwards. The Mercedes The man eventually crossed the line in P4, while the championship chaser could only finish in P6, dealing a killing blow to his title hopes.

Speaking of the unfortunate sequence of events, Norris said Sky Sports F1: “It was just bad luck. I don’t care about the hindsight side of things, that’s luck for them, nothing more. They (Red Bull) got lucky with a rule that no one agrees with.

“They probably agreed today, but every driver disagreed with him in the past. It was good for them today, it could have benefited us if we just stayed out, but it’s a silly thing to think about. A little unlucky today, nothing more. Of course, disappointing.”

This wasn’t Norris’ first complaint either. After finishing 10th in Jeddah in 2021, he fumed: “It’s probably the worst rule anyone has ever invented, to be able to change tires under the red flag. He ruined our race today. It’s like you’re doing so much just to take it all away.”

Britanic is also right. With Verstappen cutting through the field like a hot knife through butter and Norris chasing Russell before the red flag, we were set for another memorable on-track showdown between the two title contenders.

While Verstappen’s win was sensational in itself, there was no guarantee he would have found his way past Norris and up front without the assistance of the red flag. The Brazilian Grand Prix was one for the history books, but it could have been even better.