Norris forced to step back on the Baku grid

Qualified to a solid 6th place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Lando Norris will have to move back 3 places on the Baku grid on Sunday where he will be 9th.  

The pilot McLaren has in fact violated article 31.6 of the sporting regulations which forces drivers to return to the pits as soon as a red flag is waved. 

Norris was completing a lap in Q1 when the session was interrupted. The Briton initially headed towards the pit lane before asking his team for confirmation. A moment of guilty hesitation followed. 

Norris changed his mind to continue on the track while McLaren ordered him to return to his box. However, it was too late to rob again. 

In their official report, the Baku commissioners specified that Norris should have suffered a drop of 5 places on the grid but they granted him mitigating circumstances in view of his position on the track at the time of the red flag. 

The McLaren driver also receives 3 penalty points on his FIA license. It is 8 over the last 12 months. Norris will therefore have to be careful because 4 more would result in a suspension from a Grand Prix. 

This sanction concludes a complicated Saturday for McLaren, the Woking team (United Kingdom) having also seen Daniel Ricciardo finish in the wall at turn 3 in Q2. The Australian will start 13th, 4 places behind his penalized teammate.