2024 F1 Qatar GP: how stewards' late decisions sparked chaos at Lusail circuit
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On lap 29 of the Qatar Grand Prix, a mirror detached from Alexander Albon’s car and rolled to a stop on the start/finish straight at Losail. Race control waved yellow flags, but no one could have predicted that the small piece of Williams’ debris would set off a chain of events that influenced the race’s outcome and delayed the Constructors’ Championship title decision to the Abu Dhabi weekend.
The first consequence of the misplaced mirror (which cameras lingered on extensively) was the advice from pit walls for drivers who hadn't yet pitted to stay out—everyone except Russell, Magnussen, and Bottas, who had already switched from mediums to hards. Teams gambled on a potential Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car scenario, ignoring Pirelli’s recommendations to pit between laps 19 and 24 to switch from mediums to hards.
At the Losail circuit, weight reduction—performance gained as fuel burns off—offsets the performance loss from tire degradation. This was evident in lap times for those who stayed out after lap 23, when George Russell pitted for hards. Upon rejoining, George Russell’s times (despite falling behind Fernando Alonso due to a right rear tire issue during his stop) were not particularly fast. Extending the stint, however, carries risks. While lap times remained competitive, tire wear took its toll. As the tread thinned lap after lap, the risk of punctures increased.
Race Control’s Delay Impacted Strategies
On lap 32, Carlos Sainz began experiencing issues, as confirmed by his onboard footage. The left front tire of his Ferrari showed visible signs of failure, with the tire's structure becoming exposed. Carlos Sainz radioed the team at the start of lap 33, and by the next lap, the tire gave way. Whether debris caused the failure or it occurred elsewhere on the track became irrelevant, as the unprotected tire construction was destined to fail.
The Safety Car only appeared after Bottas's Williams struck the mirror, shattering it. At that moment, Lewis Hamilton's left front tire also failed. Again, it remains unclear whether debris caused the puncture. Hamilton's tire, like many other left fronts checked by Pirelli post-race, was in poor condition.
The root of the chaos lay in race control’s inexplicable delay. Had the mirror been removed immediately after Albon lost it, the situation could have been resolved without affecting the race. A brief Virtual Safety Car period would have sufficed for a marshal to clear the debris. Teams wouldn't have delayed their pit stops, and the key moments of Sunday's race at Lusail wouldn't have unfolded.
Was Lando Norris's Penalty Excessive?
From running second and potentially pressuring Max Verstappen, Lando Norris found himself battling Bottas at the back and climbing back to salvage a single point for 10th place. Norris's race took a turn on lap 45, when he was forced to pit to serve a 10-second stop-and-go penalty handed down two laps earlier. The stewards penalized him for failing to sufficiently slow under yellow flags on the straight. While no one disputed the decision to penalize Norris, the penalty’s severity was widely criticized, including by McLaren’s Andrea Stella.
"When a yellow flag is shown, you must slow down," admitted Andrea Stella, McLaren's team principal. "Every driver knows this, and Lando didn't, so no one disputes that a penalty was warranted. But there are two additional factors: firstly, Lando didn't create a dangerous situation, which makes this case unique. Secondly, the penalty was disproportionate. Interestingly, the FIA initially showed the yellow flag, then removed it, and later reinstated it, which confirms this wasn't a serious situation. I find the lack of specificity and proportionality in the stewards’ decision concerning. This is a decision that could decisively impact the championship."
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