Ex-F1 driver slams McLaren over Norris decision: "It made absolutely no sense"
Jolyon Palmer has questioned McLaren’s decision to pit Lando Norris after the Virtual Safety Car ended at the Madrid Grand Prix, arguing the team failed to react to the race unfolding in front of them. Norris had built a six-second advantage over Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli before the VSC was deployed, leaving McLaren particularly exposed when the field’s pace was reduced.
Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer has criticized McLaren's decision to pit Lando Norris immediately after the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) ended at the Madrid Grand Prix, arguing that it made no sense. Palmer questioned McLaren's strategy, as Norris had built a six-second advantage over Kimi Antontelli before the VSC was deployed, leaving McLaren exposed when the field's pace was reduced.
When the race went back to green flag running, Palmer felt that pitting Norris as soon as possible was a planned move, rather than a response to the changing race conditions. Norris has also proposed changes to the VSC rules, suggesting that the system should be fairer and not have such a significant impact on a race's natural flow.
He believes that victory should be decided by on-track performance and strategic decisions, rather than a perfectly timed VSC giving certain drivers a much cheaper pit stop.
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