Why Norris avoided penalty for overtaking Tsunoda off-track in Abu Dhabi GP

Lando Norris escaped sanction for his off-track overtake on Yuki Tsunoda in Formula 1’s title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix because the stewards deemed him to have been “forced off”.

As expected, Red Bull made Tsunoda’s opening stint as long as possible so that he could potentially hinder the McLaren cars after their initial pitstops, with team-mate Max Verstappen still in contention for the title.

When Norris caught Tsunoda, the Japanese racer weaved on the straight between Turns 5 and 6 in an attempt to prevent the McLaren from passing. Norris still made it through, though in the process he put all four wheels beyond the white line on the left-hand side of the track.

Both drivers were investigated – Tsunoda for defending with more than one change of direction, Norris for leaving the track and gaining an advantage – but while the Red Bull driver got a five-second penalty, Norris was cleared by the stewards due to Tsunoda’s erratic driving.

“The driver of Car 4 overtook Car 22 off track,” the stewards’ report reads, “however this occurred because the driver of Car 22 made multiple moves defending his position against Car 4. Had Car 22 not made those moves, Car 4 would have overtaken it without going off track but moved off track to avoid contact with Car 22.

Lando Norris, McLaren, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Team

Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

“Further, the driving standards guidelines provide that if a car is 'forced off' (which was effectively what occurred here) it is not considered to have exceeded track limits.

“Whilst technically the overtake took place off track, we determine in view of the above, to take no further action.”

Norris went on to finish the race in third – just what he needed to claim his maiden world title against Verstappen and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.

A hypothetical five-second penalty probably wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the title race anyway, as Norris was seven seconds clear of fourth-placed Charles Leclerc under the chequered flag.