McLaren driver Lando Norris has slated rivals for 'not caring enough' about each other after the latest spate of qualifying blocking incidents at the Singapore Grand Prix. Traffic issues have blighted F1 qualifying sessions in recent years, though the problem has been pronounced this campaign with penalties for impeding becoming a weekly occurrence. Whilst consistency has been applied across the majority of the season, championship leader Max Verstappen escaped three investigations in Singapore with just two reprimands - outcomes which raised a number of questions regarding stewarding in the sport. The Dutchman was offered mitigation due to his Red Bull team having failed to adequately inform its driver of rivals behind setting flying laps although when compared to similar scenarios this season, inconsistency can be found as grid drops were applied.
Harsher penalties needed
Asked whether he believed Verstappen should have received a grid drop, Norris told media including RacingNews365.com : "The blocking on track should have been a penalty. "He blocked someone... it is not just down to the team, I know the team got the fine but at the end of the day it is down to the driver to look in his mirrors and see if someone [is coming]." Taking aim at drivers up and down the grid over habitual impeding becoming an increasing issue, Norris added: "You have got nothing else to do the whole lap other than look in your mirrors and it seems like a lot of people struggle to do that. "There should be harsher penalties for blocking people because it ruins your lap, ruins qualifying. "No one seems to care enough and it has happened a lot this season, it has happened a few times, especially with certain teams. "But it is down to the driver to look in the mirror, we have nothing else to do other than hit the recharge button and people seem to struggle to do that in F1 which is a surprise."
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