India, Dec. 8 -- Lando Norris's first world title briefly hung on a steward's verdict. In the Abu Dhabi finale. The McLaren driver overtook Yuki Tsunoda with all four wheels beyond the white line - exactly the kind of move that usually results time penalty in F1.

Instead, Norris kept his third place, and with it, the margin he needed to edge Max Verstappen to the 2025 championship by two points. Only after the race did the FIA spell out why what looked like a textbook offence did not lead to a sanction that, in theory, could have swung the title.

The key incident came after Norris's first stop, when he caught Tsunoda's Red Bull on the main straight. With Red Bull trying to delay the McLaren to help Verstappen's title bid, the Japanese d...