In the final laps of the Canadian Grand Prix attention shifted to the 3-way fight for seventh place between Albon's Williams, Ocon's Alpine and Norris' McLaren who had reported an anomaly on the Frenchman's car. The rear wing of Esteban Ocon's Alpine – who was unable to overtake Albon – wobbled noticeably, as if it were not fixed well. A detail that Lando Norris – glued to the back of the A523 train – he immediately reported to the team, and indirectly to the Race Direction for fear that the wing would come off and hit someone. The decision not to proceed with a warning to the pits and the subsequent post-race checks which exonerated Alpine, having found no damage, angered McLaren, who intended to continue the debate on the issue.
The issue of safety is taken very seriously by the teams who often have to draw the attention of the Race Direction to report a potential danger. Dangling pieces such as mirrors and endplates risk causing further damage and hitting opponents if they are not removed immediately. The commissioners, precisely on these occasions, can expose a black flag with an orange circle in the middle. Ordering the team to bring the car back to the pits to repair the damage.
McLaren's protest
Despite McLaren's protests, however, the Race Direction decided not to intervene in the race - with two laps now missing. But the real insult for the team came after the race with the FIA checks which ruled out damage to the Frenchman's car. The English team does not want to give up and for this reason has declared that the issue will be submitted again during the next Sports Advisory Committee. Furthermore, the team also had to collect a penalty with Lando Norris, for having broken a rule not present in the regulation but which refers to a “unsportsmanlike conduct”.
“I think this is a debate that deserves more time and I'm sure it will be raised again at the next Sports Advisory Committee – declared the McLaren team principal Andrea Stella - because Lando said a couple of times that it's not nice when you follow a car with a wobbly rear wing that could hit you, and nothing happens. I'm surprised Alpine wasn't in a position to pass Albon. Their tires were much fresher, so they must have lost some performance due to the difference in tires. If Lando had been behind I think he could have passed Albon, and this contributed to creating the train of cars."
"We have already seen that Alpine's rear wing wobbles at times, Lando reported it because it seemed like something was broken, the wing can't swing that way, outside of his normal behavior. It is normal for us to ask ourselves what the FIA thinks of this situation in terms of safety."
Source statements: FormulaPassion
