Sainz made same start error as Norris at Monza last year

The strange scenes at the beginning of the Brazilian Grand Prix left Lando Norris and other drivers racing under the threat of a potential penalty.

Norris, who claimed pole position for the team, committed an unusual error when he pulled away from the grid when he wasn’t supposed to. Other drivers followed him, and race control later announced he was under investigation, along with fellow front row starter George Russell, and the two RB drivers who lined up immediately behind the McLaren.

The problem began when Lance Stroll spun at Subida do Lago during the formation lap. His Aston Martin became stuck in a gravel trap and it became clear the start could not go ahead until it had been recovered.

Sure enough, after Norris and the other drivers due to start from the grid returned there, race control notified them the start had been aborted. This was where things started to go awry.

Race control followed the procedure defined in the rules for an aborted start. This states: “The abort lights will be switched on, a board saying ‘aborted start’ will be displayed, all cars should return to the grid and all competitors will be informed of the likely delay using the official messaging system. The starting procedure will begin again at the 10 minute signal.”

However Norris did not wait for the signal, and pulled away immediately. Russell, the RB drivers and eventually the rest did the same, some after observing that the correct procedure had not been followed.

Norris’ mistake was easy to recognise: He reacted as if race control had ordered an extra formation lap. This is a different regulation, which states: “If the race director decides the start should be aborted the green lights will be illuminated two seconds after the abort lights are switched on, a board saying ‘extra formation lap’ will be displayed and all competitors will be informed using the official messaging system. All cars able to do so must complete a further formation lap whilst the car which developed the problem is moved into the pit lane.”

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The two rules are intended to cover different cases. Extra formation laps are typically used when a car develops a problem on the grid and needs to be pushed away. Aborted starts are more commonly seen when there is a problem elsewhere on the track, as with Stroll’s stranded Aston Martin.

Norris had plenty of opportunity to avoid his mistake. McLaren warned him on the formation lap that Stroll had stopped at turn four, told him the start would be aborted and did not indicate he should do an extra formation lap.

As Norris is a championship contender, the prospect he might attract a sporting penalty for a strange incident understandably generated much speculation. However the stewards instead fined him €5,000 and issued an official reprimand. Russell received the same, the stewards judging the two front row occupants influenced the reactions of the drivers behind them.

“The driver left the grid and proceeded on a lap that he assumed to be an extra formation lap,” they noted. “As the driver was on the front row of the grid this triggered following drivers to take similar action. At some point the race director realising that for practical reasons all cars would now need to do an extra formation lap gave an instruction to the teams for all cars to proceed and return to the grid to follow the correct aborted start procedure.”

Did the pair deserve their penalties, or did the stewards stay their hands, not wishing to interfere with the championship fight as far as Norris was concerned? But the question should perhaps be why were they were penalised at all.

A similar scenario played out last year at the Italian Grand Prix. Pole-winner Carlos Sainz Jnr incorrectly led the field away on an additional formation lap when the start was aborted. On this occasion, no action was taken against the Ferrari driver.

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The start was aborted at Monza last year after Yuki Tsunoda’s car failed during the formation lap. Race control announced an aborted start and displayed the abort lights on the starting gantry.

At that point, Sainz pulled away from his pole position a second time. He appeared to realise his mistake soon afterwards, asking his race engineer Riccardo Adami “we go, yeah?” as he drove towards the first corner. “Stand by, we need to check,” Adami answered. “Let me know what the race director wants me to do,” Sainz added as he drove through the chicane.

Later on in his extra tour of the track, Sainz was told there was an extra formation lap. However race control continued to follow the aborted start procedure: When Sainz and the other cars returned to the grid, their mechanics joined them and a new start time was declared, just as happened last weekend.

The incident was not placed under investigation and no driver was penalised. Norris was not as lucky on Sunday, but given how his race went once he finally got started it was the least of his problems.

NB. For clarity, the top image shows the original formation lap at the 2023 Italian Grand Prix.

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