Lando Norris has urged Formula 1 to implement a “better solution” to the advertising stickers that have been getting caught under cars across the Monaco Grand Prix.
Norris was among three drivers who had banners from advertisements that align the Monte Carlo streets become dislodged and end up being sucked under their car.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who took pole position, and Williams’ Logan Sargeant were the other unfortunate names to have their qualifying disrupted through the issue.
The incident with Norris occurred at Mirabeau and almost cost him advancing from Q1 as he was situated in the drop zone during the closing minutes of the segment.
But while he progressed with a second run, the Briton was left agitated as using up a set of the Soft compound meant that he was restricted to one fresh tyre run in Q3.
“I had to pit to get it off. It just shouldn’t happen in Formula One,” Norris asserted.
“It’s a bit silly in my opinion, we said it would happen yesterday and they said they were going to fix it but obviously it wasn’t fixed.
“It’s a shame that you have to get lucky, I was lucky that I had enough time otherwise it would have ruined my qualifying and my whole weekend.
Norris has branded the saga as “not acceptable” and he anticipates that it will transpire to be a contentious talking point post-race unless it can be rectified overnight.
“There is nothing I can do,” Norris said. “It can only ruin your race at the minute.
“They need to come up with a better solution than just stickers because of course we are touching the wall and all this stuff.
“But it’s not acceptable that this can ruin your whole weekend, just for some stickers and things like that. They need to find a better solution.”
Norris would proceed to wind up fourth overall but rued his struggles all weekend through Turns 3 and 4 compared to team-mate Oscar Piastri, who claimed second.
“I always struggled a little bit in Turn 3 and Turn 4 the whole weekend and it got closer and closer but it’s the only place that I lost time to Oscar.
“I lost 0.15s there and silly it is such a big margin, but I got the timing wrong and didn’t get such a good out lap.
“I’m not really saying it was my excuse but I’m not really good enough in Turns 3 and 4, and that was pretty much the only place I lost to Oscar on the whole track.
“It was 0.1s or 0.15s and 0.15s round here is two positions in the end, so yeah, a bit frustrating and I’m frustrated by that.
“That happens sometimes, so as much as I want to kick myself about it, the rest of the lap was good and so I’m happy with it.”
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