Michael Masi didn't entertain Lando Norris' complaints on Sunday, after the McLaren driver was given a grid penalty and three penalty points for staying out on track when a red flag was shown during qualifying. Norris had been in the pitlane entry when the red flag was shown after Alfa Romeo's Antonio Giovinazzi crashed. Getting on the radio, he asked his team whether he should come in, but the McLaren driver pulled back out onto the track and did another lap. He was given a penalty for the transgression, and complained afterwards he felt he'd done nothing wrong. "To be fair, the first part is when, from karting all the way through to Formula 1, when a red flag is displayed, the meaning of that is very clear," Masi told select members of the media, including RacingNews365.com. "Slow right down and come to pit lane immediately. So that there's no ambiguity from a six year old, who's in their first karting event through to Formula 1 is consistent across all circuit racing around." Asked whether the punishment of three penalty points, which takes Norris to a total of eight on his superlicence for the current 12 month period, was open to any leeway. Masi explained the punishment actually could have been worse. "With regards to the penalty points and and the actual penalty itself, obviously, the stewards can apply any of the penalties and any penalty points that they see appropriate in an incident. Yes, they do have a guideline to use," he said. "But, in this circumstance, they saw that it was fit to not apply what the guideline said because of the mitigating circumstances, which was a harsher penalty. However, with regards to the penalty points, they felt that it was appropriate being a red flag infringement."
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