Lando Norris condemns 'silly' F1 rule after US GP penalty scare

Lando Norris has criticised “one of the silliest rules” after being forced to navigate most of the US Grand Prix with the threat of a penalty sitting on his shoulders.

Track limits were being strictly enforced during the race, with drivers allowed three strikes before being given a five-second time penalty.

Norris was engaged in an early-race battle with Charles Leclerc and breached the white lines on three occasions early on.

When asked if it forced him to drive conservatively for the remainder of the race, Norris told media including RacingNews365: “A little bit. 

“The places which were easy to go off were Turn 9 over the crest of the hill, and then the last two corners. 

“I think I was on three strikes by like lap 10. So I didn't put myself in the best position.”

However, on lap 19, Norris ran wide and took his third strike as he went wheel-to-wheel with Leclerc in their fight for second place.

Norris criticised the decision to flag him for going off track, suggesting it makes little sense for the quality of the show.

“But then one of my strikes was because I was racing. That's one of the silliest rules that we have — we’re invited to try and race, but if you race too much, you get a penalty for it. 

“I got a track limits [strike] for trying to go around the outside and losing time to Charles.

“So, doesn't really make much sense in terms of going racing. But it definitely made my life that little bit trickier, especially Turn 19, with the wind, it was pretty inconsistent. 

“It’s difficult to just be always on the limit and not make mistakes — which I obviously made a couple too many of, too early on. 

“A little bit more cautious at the end because I knew I couldn’t afford a penalty. But I took the risks I needed to.”