November 2nd 2024.
In an exciting and intense sprint race at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil, Lando Norris emerged as the winner, beating out competitors Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen. However, Verstappen's victory was short-lived as he was given a five-second time penalty for his actions during the race.
The race was a thrilling four-way battle for the lead, with Norris and Piastri from McLaren, Verstappen from Red Bull, and Charles Leclerc from Ferrari all vying for the top spot. Piastri, who had started in pole position, led for the majority of the race until he was instructed to let his teammate Norris pass in order to help his chances in the title race against Verstappen.
A virtual safety car towards the end of the race helped Norris maintain his lead and cross the finish line first, with Piastri coming in second and Verstappen in third. However, Verstappen's celebrations were cut short as he was under investigation for potentially driving too fast under the virtual safety car period.
After reviewing onboard footage, the stewards determined that Verstappen had indeed gained an advantage by driving faster than the minimum time required during the virtual safety car. This resulted in a five-second penalty, dropping Verstappen down to fourth place and promoting Leclerc to third.
The FIA, Formula One's governing body, explained the ruling stating that Verstappen had breached Article 56.5 which states that all cars must be above the minimum time when the FIA light panels change to green. Verstappen had been 0.63 seconds below the minimum time when the panels turned green, thus gaining an advantage during the virtual safety car period.
Verstappen, who had originally finished in third place, now found himself starting in fourth for the main race on Sunday due to the time penalty. Despite this setback, he remained optimistic and felt confident in his race pace. He also acknowledged that McLaren, particularly Norris, had a strong one-lap pace and that he would have to limit the damage in Sunday's race.
The penalty may not have been a major one, but it did have an impact on the championship standings as Norris closed the gap to Verstappen by 44 points. With the main race at Interlagos set to begin at 5pm UK time on Sunday, fans can expect another thrilling battle between these top drivers.
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