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McLaren is petitioning for a right of review into Lando Norris’s five second time penalty for passing Max Verstappen off-track in the 2024 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix.
The team made its displeasure for the penalty known after the grand prix with team boss Andrea Stella saying the stewards inappropriately interfered “with a beautiful piece of motorsport”.
Norris made it clear that his and McLaren’s view on the incident hadn’t cooled by the time they arrived in Mexico: “I did what I thought was right. I still disagree and as a team, we still disagree. I think the majority of people who were watching disagreed with the penalty that I got.”
However news on Thursday evening that McLaren is asking the FIA for a right of review comes as a shock as, on Sunday, Stella admitted any right of review into the incident would be unlikely to succeed.
“I don't think new and relevant information exists because the only evidence that we have used so far to assess our interpretation, which is in disagreement with the stewards, is what is already available,” Stella said when asked about the prospect.
“If you open up the right of review I don't think it will ever be successful because you don't need new evidence, it's just a matter of interpretation.”
McLaren had considered “the matter closed” but has changed its mind now it claims there’s evidence that wasn’t available to it at the time the decision was made.
“McLaren confirms it has submitted a petition for a review relating to the decision to penalise Lando with a 5 second penalty at the 2024 United States Grand Prix, for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage, which we believe to be unfair,” a statement for McLaren read.
“We believe there is a significant and new element that was unavailable to us at the time the decision was made.
“We have submitted the relevant paperwork with the FIA and will issue no further comment while this process is ongoing.
“We have the utmost respect for the FIA and the stewards for the difficult job that they do and appreciate the open and collaborative relationship we enjoy with them.”
The petition for a right of review will be heard at 2.30pm local time in Mexico on Friday via video conference with representatives from both McLaren and Red Bull present.
The stewards will determine whether there’s a “significant and relevant new element which was unavailable to the party [McLaren] seeking the review at the time of the decision concerned”.
Should McLaren be successful, it will trigger a second part of the hearing that will take place at a later date.
McLaren last tried to trigger a right of review when it challenged Norris’s penalty for “unsportsmanlike behaviour” at the Canadian Grand Prix last year, but was unsuccessful.
Changes were made to the system ahead of 2024 in order to try and discourage frivolous requests.
