Andrea Stella furious with ‘inappropriate’ stewards decision after Lando Norris US Grand Prix penalty

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McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was furious with the US Grand Prix stewards after they ‘interfered’ with the race between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.

Norris had been battling with Verstappen for the final podium spot in the closing stages of the race, utilising the tyre offset he had after McLaren elected to go longer before their sole pit stop.

The fresher tyres meant Norris could pile the pressure on Verstappen in the closing stages, with him getting close on occasion but struggling to get alongside. He finally managed to get a good exit out of Turn 11 onto the back straight, enabling him to attempt a move around the outside of Turn 12.

Verstappen covered the inside line which resulted in him running Norris wide and eventually off the track. The Briton kept his foot in and overtook him off the track, rejoining ahead in third place.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration

The stewards eventually handed Norris a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, but Stella believes the penalty was not justified when speaking on Sky Sports.

Andrea Stella explains why F1 stewards should not have intervened in Lando Norris and Max Verstappen’s battle

Stella felt the stewards wrongfully intervened in the battle between Norris and Verstappen, believing they should have let the two race because the latter also ran off the road.

“My view is that the way the stewards interfered with a beautiful piece of motorsport was inappropriate because both cars went off track, so both cars gained an advantage,” said Stella.

“It’s a shame because it cost us a podium and a race where we stayed passionate after we were pushed off at the first corner – we accepted it. Having said that, this kind of decision by the stewards cannot be appealed, for us the chapter is now closed.”

Lando Norris escaped further punishment for Max Verstappen move

In their official ruling document, the stewards claimed that Verstappen was ahead at the apex of Turn 12 and that therefore meant that Norris had “lost the right” to the corner.

As Norris overtook him off the track and returned ahead of Verstappen, it is deemed to be a case of leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

READ MORE: Karun Chandhok left ‘confused’ by McLaren’s plan with Lando Norris in US Grand Prix

The stewards’ guidelines usually indicate that a 10-second time penalty is applicable for the offence, but in this instance, they decided to reduce it to five seconds because they felt Norris had little choice but to commit to the outside line.

It means that he only drops behind Verstappen in the final race positions to fourth, whereas a 10-second penalty would have put him behind Oscar Piastri.