“It’s unfair” - Lando Norris frustrated Carlos Sainz was reinstated into P3 in Monaco

Lando Norris was left frustrated by the FIA’s decision to reinstate Carlos Sainz into third after the red flag at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The race was red-flagged on the opening lap of Sunday’s race.

At this point, Charles Leclerc led the race ahead of the McLaren pair as Sainz dropped to the back of the field with a puncture due to contact with Oscar Piastri.

When the race got back underway, Sainz was allowed to start from his original grid position of third.

This was because the FIA deemed that it was not possible as not all the cars had passed the first sector timing line at Mirabeau.

The F1 sporting regulations note that the order for a restart “will be taken at the last point at which it was possible to determine the position of all cars. All such cars will then be permitted to resume the sprint session or the race.”

Sainz being reinstated changed the complexion of the race because if he hadn’t been, Leclerc would have been left to fend off two McLarens by himself.

Speaking after the race, Norris described the situation as “unfair”.

“I don't think it's the most fair thing, but I'm sure there's been moments in the past where maybe I've been fortunate from it and they could have they fixed the car a little bit or something like that,” he said.

“When you think of it in just a blunt way, it is frustrating and unfair, that because someone makes a mistake and because of a certain amount of cars or whatever, whatever the rule is, didn't cross the line before the red flag and blah, blah, that he gets to undo that mistake and gets a free pit stop. It's unfair.”

Mercedes driver George Russell also agreed.

“It's not correct. I don't know what the ruling is exactly. But yeah, that was a bit strange.”

McLaren boss Andrea Stella felt the rules were implemented correctly by the FIA even though his outfit was compromised.

“In terms of the way in which the restart order was determined, I think what the FIA did was the best thing to do,” Stella explained.

“Also it is in agreement with the precedent, whereby you use the safety car line two when sector times are not available. I don't think using the mini sectors is a good way of doing that.

“Obviously, the whole point that saved Carlos was that Zhou had not crossed the sector time at the time the race was suspended. Lucky Carlos.

“I think he was lucky today and also with the lenient approach from the stewards, because the collision in corner one obviously created significant damage to Oscar's car - and I think this summed up yesterday's impeding. Like I say, lucky Carlos, this gained him a podium.”