Lando Norris and George Russell discover Brazilian GP punishment after botched start

Lando Norris and George Russell have been reprimanded for their roles in the chaotic aborted start at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The weekend was heavily impacted by rain, with from Saturday evening to Sunday morning. There were then five red flags in that session, with .

As the formation lap started, Lance Stroll lost control of his Aston Martin and spun off the track. After a small collision with the wall, Stroll tried to get going away, but instead drove straight into a gravel trap.

All the other cars made it back to the grid for the start, which the FIA had to abort due to the position of Stroll's car. But there was huge confusion after that decision, with Norris, Russell, Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson all setting off for another formation lap, without being given a green light.

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Several other drivers remained on the grid at first before eventually setting off to join the breakaway group. The first four drivers to set off were all placed under investigation for the incident.

That investigation was completed after the race had ended, with Norris having finished sixth. And after deliberation, the FIA handed out a reprimand and a £4,200 fine to both Norris and to Russell.

“The FIA Formula One Race Director initiated the Aborted Start procedure indicating that the drivers should not leave the grid. This message was necessary as there was a car off the track in Turn 4 that needed to be recovered,” the stewards said in their ruling.

“Although the signal was appropriately given the light panel illuminated as prescribed, and the teams notified by the messaging system, the driver left the grid and proceeded on a lap that he assumed to be an extra formation lap.

“As the driver was on the front row of the grid this triggered following drivers to take similar action. At some point the Race Director realising that for practical reasons all cars would now need to do an extra formation lap gave an instruction to the teams for all cars to proceed and return to the grid to follow the correct aborted start procedure.

“In the opinion of the stewards the driver [Norris] precipitated the action of the drivers on the grid directly behind him.”

Norris and Russell can able to appeal their punishments, though that is unlikely. Lawson and Tsunoda meanwhile were let off by the stewards, who decided that it was Norris and Russell who caused them to move off.

For both Lawson and Tsunoda, the ruling reads, “In the opinion of the Stewards the driver breached the regulation this was influenced by the driver ahead of him and as such he was not predominately responsible for the breach. As such the stewards decide to take no further action having held the driver immediately ahead of him at fault.”