The Brazilian Grand Prix's unconventional start courtesy of a rain-shortened Saturday resulted in a chaotic formation lap.
The start of the Brazilian Grand Prix was already off to an unconventional start courtesy of a rain-shortened Saturday and a qualifying/race doubleheader on Sunday - and the situation only got more chaotic on the formation lap.
Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll ended up in the gravel on the formation lap, forcing an aborted start - and a procedural gaffe from polesitter Lando Norris that saw him under investigation before a single lap was turned in anger.
Heavy rain at Interlagos on Saturday afternoon postponed Formula 1 Grand Prix qualifying until Sunday morning, when damp conditions brought out a record five red flags during three quali sessions and saw five cars damaged in the process.
Four of the five damaged cars were repaired for the race start, and one of those machines — the No. 18 of Lance Stroll - lost control of his Aston Martin on the formation lap.
Stroll attempted to reverse off the tarmac and return to the track, but ended up instead in the gravel. He had to exit his car, and the start was aborted.
However, the aborted start caught out polesitter Lando Norris.
The McLaren driver, as well as a handful of others including George Russell and Yuki Tsunoda, took off when the yellow lights went out — critically, not when the green light turned on.
Several drivers remained in static on the grid, aware that the aborted start procedure did not allow them to take on an additional formation lap.
Norris is now under investigation for a breach of start procedure, facing a penalty before the race ever started. A penalty here would be absolutely critical for the championship fight, with the gap between leader Max Verstappen and Norris whittled away to just 44 points.
Soon after the race start, George Russell, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda were also noted for starting procedure infringements, and all four were set to be investigated after the race.
After several hours of deliberation, the FIA determined that there would be no further action for Tsunoda or Lawson.
As the two drivers on the front row, Lando Norris and George Russell were handed €5,000 fines and a reprimand.
Per the stewards, the drivers at the front of the grid triggered other drivers to take action.
"The FIA Formula One Race Director initiated the Aborted Start procedure indicating that the drivers should not leave the grid," the FIA ruling in Norris' case reads.
"This message was necessary as there was a car off the track in Turn 4 (STR) that needed to be recovered. Although the signal was appropriately given the light panel illuminated as prescribed, and the teams notified by the messaging system, the driver left the grid and proceeded on a lap that he assumed to be an extra formation lap.
"As the driver was on the front row of the grid this triggered following drivers to take similar action.
"At some point the Race Director realizing that for practical reasons all cars would now need to do an extra formation lap gave an instruction to the teams for all cars to proceed and return to the grid to follow the correct aborted start procedure.
"In the opinion of the stewards the driver NOR precipitated the action of the drivers on the grid directly behind him."
