McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has called for the FIA to reassess their penalty system following Lando Norris's severe punishment at the Qatar Grand Prix.

Norris received a 10-second stop-and-go penalty - the most severe penalty short of disqualification - for failing to slow down during yellow flags. While Stella acknowledges the infringement, he questions the severity of the punishment.

The McLaren boss highlighted two key concerns with the penalty system:

1. Proportion: The punishment should match the severity of the incident
2. Specificity: Penalties should consider the context and immediate danger level of the situation

Stella noted that the FIA's own inconsistency with the yellow flag signals during the incident suggests the situation wasn't severe enough to warrant such a harsh penalty. "The FIA themselves were going on and off with the yellow flag, and at some stage the yellow flag was even removed," he explained.

The penalty significantly impacted McLaren's championship position, dropping Norris from second to tenth place. The team now leads Ferrari by just 21 points in the constructors' championship heading into the final race.

Despite the setback, Stella praised Norris's contribution to the team's success this season and expressed confidence in his driver's determination for the upcoming Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. "Lando has been the main contributor to put McLaren in this condition," he stated, emphasizing the team's support for their driver despite the disappointment.

These comments come amid recent FIA leadership changes, including a new race director appointment before the Las Vegas Grand Prix and the dismissal of senior steward Tim Mayer.

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