Summary: The FIA defended Lando Norris’s 10-second stop-and-go penalty at the Qatar Grand Prix for failing to slow under double-waved yellow flags, citing safety protocols. McLaren criticized the severity, as Norris dropped from second to last before recovering to 10th. The FIA also explained the delayed safety car deployment, noting initial debris posed minimal risk until worsened by a collision. Safety procedures, including a swap of malfunctioning safety cars, are under review. The race director’s expanded workload and governance issues added to scrutiny.
A collision which seemed inevitable and then caused significant risk… Not really minimal risk then!