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Alpine F1 driver Esteban Ocon has escaped with a warning for his run-in with Lando Norris in the first practice session ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
An engine failure had left Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin stranded on the pit exit and caused a red flag that would last for over half of the session.
FP1 resumed with around six minutes on the clock, leading to a frantic scramble for the 20 drivers to set a flying lap on the tight circuit.
Norris had gone quickest prior to the red flag and was on for an even quicker lap before he took his McLaren for a trip through the gravel trap in the Turn 13 right-hander at the end of the lap.
He recovered and was gearing up for another flying lap, but Norris found Hungarian GP victor Ocon in his path when trying to gain track position on the run to Turn 13.
Norris attempted to get around Ocon on the left-hand side of the track but Ocon moved over and forced Norris to take to the grass to avoid making contact.
“What’s this guy doing? He just pushed me off the track,” Norris told his McLaren team.
The pair attended a hearing with the stewards just over an hour after the session, and it resulted in a warning for Ocon.
“The evidence showed that the driver of Car 31 [Ocon] made a manoeuvre which resulted in Car 4 [Norris] going beyond the edge of the track,” the verdict read.
“The stewards issued a warning in this instance, taking into account the circumstances and the explanations offered by both drivers.”
Unlike a formal reprimand, which can lead to a 10-place grid penalty if three are accrued in a given season, a warning does not come with any formal consequence, but will presumably be taken into account in future deliberations.
