Norris defies orders to help Piastri and Verstappen loses the Qatar pole to Russell
Lando Norris ignored team orders as he handed his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri the win the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix in a one-two finish for the team
By JAMES ELLINGWORTH
Published - Nov 30, 2024, 06:17 PM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 05:10 PM EST
LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lando Norris ignored team orders and handed his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri the sprint race in Qatar on Saturday, while Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen was stripped of the pole position.
His penalty elevated George Russell to first on the grid.
With McLaren eyeing its first F1 constructors' title in 26 years and Russell close behind for Mercedes, Norris was told by the team over the radio to “finish in this order,” ahead of Piastri.
He chose to gift his teammate the win anyway, easing off to the right on the exit of the final corner and then swooping back across in front of Russell, who finished third.
