Lando Norris avoided a penalty that could have cost him the Formula 1 title for a questionable overtake on Yuki Tsunoda during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Norris was passed by McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri on the opening lap of the season finale but survived early pressure from Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc to hold third place, which would guarantee him the title even with nearest championship rival Max Verstappen on course to win the race.
Norris was then the first of the three championship protagonists to pit during the season finale, which meant he had to clear some traffic as he bid to consolidate his position.
He did that well then came across Red Bull driver Tsunoda who started on hards and was left out to impede Norris and help Verstappen as much as possible.
Tsunoda told his team over the radio he knew what to do but it looked like he had given Norris an easy overtake as they exited the hairpin onto the long back straight just half a second apart.
Then Tsunoda weaved to break the tow and his final move to the left as Norris attempted to pass on the inside prompted Norris to move even further to the inside – across the white line denoting the edge of the track.
Norris completed the pass outside the white line and both drivers were placed under investigation, Tsunoda for forcing another driver off the track and Norris for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
The stewards opted to give Tsunoda a five-second penalty but Norris was cleared with no further action.
Moving to break the slipstream of another car “when the following car is a safe distance behind” may be acceptable at the stewards' discretion but “more than one change of direction to defend a position is not permitted”, according to the FIA’s racing guidelines.
“Any driver moving back towards the racing line, having earlier defended his position off-line, should leave at least one car width between his own car and the edge of the track on the approach to the corner,” the guidelines state.
And moves to hinder other drivers including deliberate crowding of a car beyond the edge of the track or any other abnormal change of direction “are strictly prohibited”.
That is likely considered mitigating circumstances for Norris completing the pass outside of track limits as the guidelines do also stress “drivers must make every reasonable effort to use the track at all times and may not leave the track without a justifiable reason”.
Drivers are usually required to give back a lasting advantage - if they are deemed to have gained one - unless the stewards consider there are mitigating circumstances.
Norris being deemed by the stewards to have been forced off by Tsunoda, who was judged to have made more than one change of direction, was enough for the officials to not issue a potentially championship-changing penalty.
Had Norris been given a 10-second penalty he would have been at risk of finishing off the podium as Leclerc continued to be just a few seconds behind at that stage – which, with a Verstappen win, would have cost Norris the title.
However, even in that situation, McLaren would likely have ordered Piastri to slow down and sacrifice any positions necessary for Norris to be promoted to third.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown told Sky Sports F1 during the race: "I think it was clearly the right decision. That was a dangerous and unnecessary manoeuvre.
“It's a team sport, so I'm not surprised the second car is going to help out, but there's got to be a limit.
“They're not driving the car so you've got to put that one on Yuki for, in my opinion, going over the line.
“That was a dangerous manoeuvre, but we're all good now."
