Norris had emerged after the ultimate stops behind team-mate Oscar Piastri, because the pair appeared set for yet one more podium double.
However amid issues that it might value helpful time and probably open the door for fourth-placed George Russell to come back via in the event that they raced one another, McLaren intervened to name off the struggle.
It got here on the staff radio to inform Norris to not problem Piastri forward, with the pair ending in that order behind winner Max Verstappen.
“We’re going to carry place,” messaged the staff. “Deliver it dwelling.”
However Norris shortly responded with: “Why do you wish to do this? We now have a giant hole. I’m clearly lots faster.”
The tone of Norris’s response appeared to level to him being annoyed by not having the chance to show his tempo towards Piastri – particularly after his spectacular cost via the sector from tenth on the grid.
PLUS: How the F1 Qatar GP tyre farce flattered McLaren and hurt Verstappen
However staff boss Andrea Stella says such an interpretation is improper, as he revealed that there’s a code of conduct between driver and pit wall about being sincere if there’s unease about any instruction.
“When it comes to the message you heard, that is a part of our protocol, I’d say,” defined Stella, when requested by Autosport concerning the state of affairs surrounding the radio site visitors.
Lando Norris, McLaren, third place, Andrea Stella, Workforce Principal, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, 2nd place, the McLaren staff have fun after the race
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
“After we give drivers an instruction, we inform them to problem us as a result of we wish to be sure we perceive their standpoint. So: ‘problem us, inform us precisely what you suppose. We’ll reassess the state of affairs and are available again to you. However as soon as we come again to you, simply respect it.’
“And that is precisely what occurred, and that is what you heard. We ask drivers to problem us.”
Norris was not the one one who questioned the orders, as a result of Piastri additionally had not anticipated McLaren intervening in such a means.
“I used to be a bit of bit stunned, to be sincere,” he mentioned. “I’d have accepted it both means. However clearly, there have been numerous issues about tyres and monitor limits and stuff. However I believe getting second and third for the staff was a very powerful factor.”
Whereas McLaren had mentioned just lately that it didn’t wish to make a behavior of imposing staff orders on drivers, Stella felt that it was justified in Qatar.
The issues about tyres that overshadowed the race meant the staff was effectively conscious of how shortly a superb consequence may very well be snatched from it – particularly with reminiscences contemporary from Norris’s late heartbreak on the identical venue in 2021.
“We are in a spot wherein, we don’t should neglect, Lando was in P4 and some laps to go he had the tyre failure and completed P9,” mentioned Stella. “So that you don’t wish to take this danger.
“You don’t wish to induce your drivers to push after which have a monitor restrict penalty. As quickly as you inform them to push they use the kerbs as a result of it makes the lap a lot sooner, so we beneficial to avoid kerbs and take into consideration bringing it dwelling.
“Each drivers understood it very effectively and Lando was very blissful on the in-lap, he was very complimentary with the staff. It’s a level of power that our drivers assist us handle the state of affairs so proactively and constructively.”