Lando Norris penalized after Canadian Grand Prix: the reason and when he will serve the penalty
Lando Norris was handed a time penalty after the Canadian Grand Prix, despite retiring in the final stages of the race. The penalty came as a result of a risky move on his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri. The FIA ruled that Norris was responsible for the incident that ultimately ended his race, and issued a five-second penalty.
What happened between Norris and Piastri?
The clash took place in the closing laps of the race in Montréal. Norris, battling with Piastri, first tried an overtake at the final chicane, which was successfully defended by the Australian. The decisive moment came shortly after, on the main straight: Norris attempted to dive into a nearly non-existent gap, clipping the rear of Piastri’s car and causing terminal damage to his own McLaren.
The result? Norris was forced to retire, while Piastri continued on to finish just behind Italy’s Kimi Antonelli. The move — which Norris himself later admitted was “stupid” — drew the attention of the stewards, who conducted a post-race review and issued a five-second time penalty. Such sanctions for intra-team contact are uncommon, making this decision stand out.
At first glance, the penalty might seem meaningless due to Norris’s retirement. However, according to F1’s sporting regulations, if a driver completes at least 90% of the race distance, they are still officially classified. This applied to Norris, who had covered enough laps before his retirement to appear in the final standings.
Contrary to some fan speculation, the penalty will not be carried over as a grid drop at the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix. Since it’s a time penalty, it remains tied to the Canadian race result and will simply be added to his official race time — even if the race wasn’t completed.
Bottom line: no direct consequences for Norris heading into the next race weekend.
Photo: Formula 1
