Following their collision during qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix, Lando Norris’ response upon seeing that Charles Leclerc had received a warning was extensively circulated on social media.
During FP3, Leclerc was having an incredible lap until Norris got in the way and he had to slow down.
The stewards chose to chastise the Ferrari star for his antics rather than penalise the furious Monegasque driver for waiting behind his adversary and eventually making contact with him as he pushed aggressively across the course.
The drivers expressed surprise at the verdict, with Max Verstappen of Red Bull and Norris of McLaren discussing how they were shocked that their competitor had not received a more serious penalty.
In a video posted
Online, Verstappen was heard saying to Norris, “It is very strange that he has been reprimanded,” following the incident. Then, with obvious disbelief on his face, Norris answered, “That’s what he got?”
Then Verstappen clarified, saying, “Yeah, just a reprimand.” The stewards’ verdict astounded Norris, who responded incredulously, saying, “My entire front wing was ruined!” Verstappen closed the chat by stating, “I know, yes, crazy.” Even though Leclerc insisted on his innocence, the exchange undoubtedly revealed how Leclerc’s opponents believed he was let off after the incident that happened before the Spanish Grand Prix.
After the qualifying incident, he made the following statement: “The version is very simple.” As Lando pulled out of the pit lane, I was pushing behind him. round. I then had an abortion after he did.
“I made a mistake when I braked to be at his side. Being irritated and staring in the mirror put me a little in the middle because I was on the right and didn’t want to obstruct any of the cars behind. We tried not to obstruct, which was quite risky, and then we crashed. But more than anything, it was a misunderstanding. When questioned if he had moved into Norris to make a point, Leclerc said, “No, no, no.” You know, you’re usually annoyed when you do that, but you’re afraid to touch it because, well, in FP3, damaging the car is the last thing you want to do. obtained qualification immediately thereafter. That’s never the aim, then.
