Lando Norris thinks that George Russell should have been better prepared for Fernando Alonso’s driving tactics during the final moments of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
Russell lost control of his Mercedes W15 at Turn 6 of the Albert Park circuit after Alonso slowed in front of him in a defensive manner, with the end result being a stricken Silver Arrows machine in the middle of the circuit.
Alonso was handed a 20-second time penalty after the stewards deemed his tactics culpable of causing Russell’s incident, but Norris sees the situation differently.
“Shouldn’t be a penalty,” was his first response when asked about the incident.
Data showed Alonso slowed earlier than usual on the approach to Turn 6 at Albert Park, before accelerating an slowing again to take the corner as usual.
The Spaniard admitted this was an attempt to get a better exit and defend from Russell, who would have had the advantage of DRS.
Some argue in Alonso’s favour that this is a standard defensive driving practice and Norris believes that the penalty makes the matter of driving standards a clouded subject.
“It was clear now it’s not,” he said.
“What Fernando did was odd like so extreme but I don’t think it’s even close to being regarded as a brake test.
“Did he brake and downshift I don’t know the exact things of it but like should it be a penalty in any way, no.
“Like George in my opinion should have seen it coming. I don’t want to comment too much on it but George had time to see what was going on.”
Norris also argued that circumstances regarding uncommon braking manoeuvres are far more heightened in a race start situation, where drivers constantly have to be on guard on the run down to Turn 1.
“It’s worse going into turn one at the start of a race,” he declared.
“You have no idea when people are going to brake, but you have to react so as soon as they brake, you brake.
“So yeah like that’s a worse case I would say than what happened here but the outcome was a lot worse here than what happens on turn one sometimes so I’m sure we’ll have many questions in the drivers’ briefing.”
Alonso believes that had Russell avoided a crash, then his defensive manoeuvre wouldn’t have been a conversation topic, but Norris admitted that if the end result is a stricken car in the middle of the circuit, “you can’t ignore it.
“I think if it was an all-tarmac run off, I feel like it probably wouldn’t have been a penalty.
“If George just lost it a bit and even if he still came onto the track with nothing then maybe it would have been thought of, but if it was just a run off you’ll just look like George did something.
“I don’t know I’m not the one in there making the decisions so probably best for me not to comment – but I love to comment.”
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