Norris Slams The Red Flag Tyre Rule As The Worst Ever Rule Ever Invented

How do you hit control-alt-delete on the F1 rulebook? That’s the word-for-word question Lando Norris will be asking himself without the worthiness for drivers to have an powerfully ‘free’ pit stop during a red flag ruined his race once again.

Lining up in seventh for the first-ever Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the McLaren suburbanite was set for a solid haul of points as he made up one place at the start. With Mick Schumacher’s crash into the Turn 23 barriers triggering the safety car on Lap 10, the McLaren dove into the pits to swap out his softs.

Good opening laps. ? Lando gains a place, Daniel two.

NOR ?? P6
RIC ?? P9#SaudiArabianGP ?? [Lap 4/50] pic.twitter.com/PLcqAZJAGT

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) December 5, 2021

Problem was that the safety car soon turned into a red flag. Unfortunately for Lando, that unliable Esteban Ocon, Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz and Antonio Giovinazzi to jump superiority of him and transpiration their tyres without losing the usual 22 seconds needed for an stereotype pit stop.

What makes it plane worse is that his teammate Ricciardo, who started 11th, sooner finished fifth. His ex-teammate Sainz moreover went from 15th to eighth thanks to the rule. That’s a tough pill to swallow.

Forced to settle for a single point in tenth without having his race ruined, Norris didn’t mince his words and blasted the rule as “probably the worst rule overly invented by someone”.

“Not to take anything yonder from Pierre [Gasly] considering people will probably say that’s what I’m trying to do, but with the Monza race last year when Pierre got to transpiration tyres for self-ruling like, I don’t finger like it’s deserved in a way,” he told Sky.

“It’s just well-constructed luck, and it’s luck that doesn’t need to be given to someone. It just ruined our race today. It feels like you do so much just to get it all taken away. This crap rule ruins everything.”

Lando has come a cropper to this rule surpassing at last year’s Tuscan and Italian Grand Prix. Monza saw McLaren miss out on a double podium considering of the rule, and the Brit isn’t the only one to have voiced their unhappiness at the loophole.

Wonderful race. lol pic.twitter.com/MgCAFRXerI

— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) December 5, 2021

Frustrated by his third tenth-place finish in four races and stuff outscored by both Ferraris, Norris now sits sixth in the drivers’ championship on 154 points, four points overdue Charles Leclerc.

Should drivers be unliable to transpiration their tyres during a red flag? Let us know in the comments below.