Formula 1: Lando Norris penalized ahead of Baku race
By Asher Fair
Lando Norris has been issued a three-place grid penalty ahead of Sunday’s Formula 1 race at Baku City Circuit, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
McLaren’s Lando Norris initially qualified for Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku City Circuit, the sixth of 23 races on the 2021 Formula 1 schedule, in sixth place alongside Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. on the second row.
However, that position will not be the position in which he starts tomorrow’s event.
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During the first of three rounds of qualifying for this 51-lap race around the 20-turn, 3.73-mile (6.003-kilometer) temporary street circuit in Azadliq Square, Baku, Azerbaijan, Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi crashed into the turn 15 barriers, causing a red flag.
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It was later determined that Norris, who advanced to the second and then the third and final round of qualifying, continued on track under red flag conditions, rather than returning to the pits.
As he approached the tight pit entry at speed, he asked his team on the radio whether or not he should come into the pits or stay out. He was told to come in, but it was too late by that point, and he ended up running another lap before returning to the pits.
As a result, he is set to start the race in ninth place as opposed to sixth, dropping behind Red Bull’s Sergio Perez (seventh to sixth), AlphaTauri rookie Yuki Tsunoda (eighth to seventh) and Alpine’s Fernando Alonso (ninth to eighth). Additionally, he was issued three points on his license. He now has more points (eight) on his license than any other driver, and 12 points net an automatic one-race ban.
So here is the updated provisional starting grid for the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku City Circuit.
NOTE: This could still change, depending on how badly some of the cars that crashed during the session were damaged, most notably the Ferrari of Sainz.
Starting Lineup
1st – Charles Leclerc
2nd – Lewis Hamilton
3rd – Max Verstappen
4th – Pierre Gasly
5th – Carlos Sainz Jr.
6th – Sergio Perez
7th – Yuki Tsunoda
8th – Fernando Alonso
9th – Lando Norris
10th – Valtteri Bottas
11th – Sebastian Vettel
12th – Esteban Ocon
13th – Daniel Ricciardo
14th – Kimi Raikkonen
15th – George Russell
16th – Nicholas Latifi
17th – Mick Schumacher
18th – Nikita Mazepin
19th – Lance Stroll
20th – Antonio Giovinazzi
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Be sure to tune in to ESPN at 8:00 a.m. ET tomorrow morning for the live broadcast of the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix from Baku City Circuit.