McLaren’s small chances of clinching the Constructors’ Championship at the Qatar Grand Prix disappeared after Lando Norris received a 10-second stop-and-go penalty.

The stewards ruled that Norris didn’t slow down enough when double yellow flags were waved on Lap 31, warning drivers about debris on the track from Alex Albon’s Williams. While Norris had been chasing race leader Max Verstappen, the penalty sent him from second place to last among the remaining cars.

Despite falling to the back of the field, the Briton still managed to fight his way up to tenth place, earning two points as he also set the fastest lap on top.

However, what could have been a big points haul for McLaren turned into a missed opportunity. Ferrari didn’t hesitate and took advantage, with Charles Leclerc finishing second and Carlos Sainz coming in sixth. This reduces the gap in the Constructors’ Championship to just 21 points, leaving everything to play for in the final race in Abu Dhabi.

The incident also raised questions about decisions made by race control. Initially, only yellow flags were shown for the debris, and then they were removed without the track being cleared. Seven laps later, Valtteri Bottas hit the loose mirror, spreading its parts across the track, which caused punctures for Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz.

Only after that, the Safety Car came out and grouped the cars together, which made Norris’ penalty even more damaging when it was applied.

After the race, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff called Norris’ penalty “brutal” but said it was acceptable as long as officials apply the rules fairly in all cases.

"The penalties were brutal, particularly to McLaren. It could cost the championship," he told Sky Sports F1.

"I don't know what the infringement exactly was. Most important, is there is consistency.

"If the race director comes in and he has a hard stance, that's ok, as long as everyone knows that's the hard stance and you need to comply to it."

The FIA explained their decision not to send out the Safety Car earlier and promised to review the situation with teams to improve their processes.