Lando Norris 'Punished' by FIA Over Max Verstappen Incident Ahead of Qatar GP

McLaren star Lando Norris has reportedly been punished by Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, over an incident involving Max Verstappen.

Last weekend, Norris finished second behind Verstappen at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, extending his lead at the top of the standings.

However, hours after the race ended, it was confirmed that Norris, along with teammate Oscar Piastri, had been disqualified due to excessive skid block wear.

As a result, with just two races left to run, Norris leads both Verstappen and Piastri by 24 points.

Speaking after the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Norris was asked about his race start, where he made an aggressive move to shut the door on Verstappen before running wide into the first corner, gifting his rival the lead.

Lando Norris made an aggressive move on Max Verstappen at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Image: Getty

The Brit said: "I let Max have a win. I let him go, let him have a nice race! No, I just braked too late – it was my F-up. It was not my best performance out there but when the guy wins by 20 seconds it's because he has just done a better job and they're a bit quicker.

"Fun race out there, difficult as always, but good fun."

In response, David Coulthard, who was doing the post-race interviews, said: "Nice joke from Lando saying he gave Max the win…"

Norris then quickly added: "I said that I f****d it up," leaving Verstappen and George Russell in stitches.

Reacting to Norris' X-rated reply, Coulthard said: "Well you can't say that! Sorry ladies and gentleman." While Russell was heard saying: "That's a fine!"

Lando Norris left Max Verstappen in stitches during the post-race interview. Image: Getty

Now, it has been claimed that Norris has been punished by the FIA, after his F-Bomb breached swearing guidelines put in place for drivers.

Back in 2024, swearing guidelines were brought in by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

While swearing is allowed on team radio, using foul language during media appearances could be penalised.

According to F1 photographer Mark Sutton, Norris has been handed a $59,000 fine for swearing but he later removed the figure from his original post on Instagram.

Meanwhile, Auto Racing 1 also reported that Sutton had claimed that the fine handed to the McLaren star was $59,000.

However, back in May, it was claimed by the BBC that FIA had decided to reduce swearing fines after making changes to the sport's regulations.

As per the report, F1 drivers could previously face being fined €40,000 (£33,700) for a first offence but it was then reduced to €5,000 (£4,200).

This means that while Norris could still cop a fine from the FIA, he will be lucky that the amount might not be as big as if he had fallen foul of the rules last season.

It is currently unconfirmed whether the FIA will take action against Norris' use of foul language.

SPORTbible has contacted the FIA for comment.

Last year, Verstappen was ordered to do community service after he claimed "the car was f****d" during a press conference, becoming the first driver to be the victim of the FIA's swearing clampdown.

At the time, Norris backed his rival by saying: "It's pretty unfair, I don't agree with any of it."

The 2025 F1 season continues this weekend with the Qatar Grand Prix.

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• McLaren To Be ‘Monitored’ by FIA at Qatar GP As Teams Make ‘Loophole’ Complaint