Marko Claims Antonelli "Waved Lando Norris By" in Qatar GP

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes it was "obvious" that Andrea Kimi Antonelli intentionally let Lando Norris pass him at the end of Formula 1's Qatar Grand Prix. This controversial claim comes after Antonelli's late-race error allowed Norris to snatch fourth place and crucial championship points.

Why it matters:

This incident adds another layer of intrigue to the intense championship battle heading into the Abu Dhabi finale. With Norris extending his lead over Verstappen, any suggestion of foul play, however unsubstantiated, can fuel narratives and heighten tensions within the F1 paddock. Marko's comments highlight the fierce competitiveness and strategic mind games at play.

The details:

• Lando Norris was seemingly set to finish fifth, behind Antonelli, after a challenging race at the Losail circuit.
• On the penultimate lap, Antonelli made a mistake, sliding off track at Turn 10, which allowed Norris to move into fourth position.
• This move gave Norris an additional two championship points, extending his lead over Verstappen to 12 points instead of 10 heading into Abu Dhabi.
• Red Bull's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase commented on the radio that it felt like Antonelli had simply "waved Norris by."
• Helmut Marko echoed this sentiment, telling Motorsport.com: "It was twice where he more or less waved Lando by. It was so obvious."
• Marko also referenced a prior incident in Austria where Antonelli allegedly crashed into Verstappen, suggesting a pattern of behavior.
• Antonelli, however, attributed his mistake to losing the car in the dirty air of Carlos Sainz's Williams ahead of him.
  • He explained, "With the hard [tyre] I was pushing quite a lot, and eventually I was getting into DRS. But I had a massive moment and almost crashed, so then I went off track and lost the place to Lando, which was very annoying."
  • Antonelli believed he could have held Norris off, stating, "I was pretty comfortable because he was even out of the DRS for a couple of laps, and in dirty air you just couldn't get past. So, I felt I could have held him, but I just made a mistake."

The big picture:

While McLaren is a Mercedes customer team, there's no direct evidence to support Marko's assertion that Antonelli deliberately aided Norris. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has openly expressed a desire to sign Verstappen in the future, further complicating the competitive landscape. This kind of accusation, however, is not uncommon in the high-stakes world of F1, where every point and every strategic advantage is scrutinized. Antonelli's explanation of dirty air affecting his car is a plausible scenario, as close-quarters racing often leads to such incidents.

What's next:

The focus now shifts to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where the championship will be decided. The points gained by Norris in Qatar, thanks to Antonelli's error, could prove decisive. Whether Marko's claims will lead to further investigations or merely serve as a distraction remains to be seen, but the championship battle is certainly heating up with this added controversy.