Lando Norris could face a penalty after an incident during FP2 of the Formula 1 Monaco GP. The McLaren driver was summoned by the FIA stewards after a failure in his car interrupted his participation in the session.
Read more F1: Russell surprised by Red Bull’s pace in Monaco
The incident happened right at the start of the second free practice session, when the steering wheel of the current champion’s car stopped working as he exited the Monaco circuit tunnel. Unable to continue, Norris had to abandon the car on the track while marshals tried to remove the single-seater from the location.
The situation gained greater relevance because the marshals were unable to move the car using the system normally employed in such cases. According to the information released, the clutch disengagement system button, known as CDS, did not work during the operation.
As a result, the car could not be pushed to a safe area in the conventional manner. The alternative found was to remove the single-seater using a transport trolley, a procedure that led the case to the FIA stewards for analysis.
Because of the incident, Norris and McLaren representatives were summoned to appear before the race stewards. The investigation will assess the circumstances of the failure and the procedures adopted after the car stopped on the track.
Read more F1: Haas sees progress in Monaco and seeks advancement on Saturday
The incident increases the team’s concern because there is a recent precedent involving a similar situation. At the Canadian GP, Liam Lawson was investigated after a similar occurrence during a practice session.
On that occasion, Racing Bulls received a fine of 30,000 euros. Of this amount, 20,000 euros were suspended for twelve months, conditional on the absence of new infractions of the same type during the established period.
Given this history, McLaren runs the risk of receiving a significant penalty if the stewards understand that there was a violation of the procedures provided for by the regulations. So far, however, no decision has been announced, and the case remains under analysis by the sporting authorities in Monaco.
Read more F1: Hadjar admits surprise with crash, but talks about ‘regaining confidence’ in Monaco
