McLaren driver Lando Norris has hit out at the sport’s “stupid” rule that ruined his Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, while vaulting his teammate Daniel Ricciardo into a top-five finish.
Norris was running sixth in the early stages of the race, with Ricciardo eighth, when the safety car was deployed for a crash involving Mick Schumacher.
Norris pitted for new tyres, but Ricciardo stayed out, a decision that would have a massive impact on the outcome for both. Officials then decided the barrier that Schumacher hit needed repairing, throwing a red flag to stop the race.
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Under red flag rules, drivers are permitted to change tyres, effectively gifting the Australian (and race leader Max Verstappen) a free pit stop.
When racing resumed, Ricciardo was fourth and Norris 14th. Ricciardo went on to finish fifth, while Norris could only recover to 10th, the result dropping him behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to sixth in the world championship.
“It’s happened a few times, like obviously at Monza last year, you just get a free pitstop and it ruined our race,” Norris said.
“Mugello I think as well ruined our race, and here the same. Of course I’m always on the bad end of it, so it probably sucks more for me than anyone, but I think it’s just a very unfair rule that should be taken away.
“I think they should change it to one mandatory pitstop with two different tyre sets needed to be used, and then I think that’s acceptable. But this just ruins everything, to be honest. You put so much effort in for it to be taken away for some stupid rule.”
Norris said he’d raised the matter with officials, with no luck.
“I don’t write [the rules],” he said.
“Obviously just it makes it exciting from a TV point of view, so if that’s what they want to just focus on, and they want the views to stay up, then of course keep it. But I think it ruins racing from my point of view, ruins what effort you put into it.”
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