"Ramming other cars is allowed": Fans react to Charles Leclerc getting just a reprimand for colliding with Lando Norris in Spanish GP FP3

F1 fans were left frustrated after Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc escaped a penalty for his incident with McLaren driver Lando Norris in the FP3 session at the 2024 Spanish GP. The Monagasque found himself impeded by Norris in the dying moments of the final practice session.

Although the McLaren driver seemed apologetic, Leclerc expressed his frustration by cutting across at Turn 7/8 and colliding with the British driver.

The 'road rage' left Norris confused with damage to his front wing just before the all-important qualifying session. The incident was noticed by the stewards but Charles Leclerc was only given a reprimand at the beginning of the qualifying hour.

F1 fans took to social media to give their reactions to Charles Leclerc escaping a potential penalty, with some questioning the decision and poking fun.

"You heard it here first, ramming other cars is allowed," a fan said.

Another fan wrote:

"What a standard to set. If someone impedes you, you're allowed to drive into them."

One claimed:

"Leclerc and Stroll should have both received penalties. They are setting the precedent that no one should be punished for this behavior. Now drivers have the "But in Spain...." defense."

"Him and Stroll should have had more than a telling-off," another mulled.

One said,

"Magnussen is licking his lips in the future. Anything goes now apparently."

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Charles Leclerc gives his take on the Lando Norris incident in Barcelona

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc stated that colliding with Lando Norris after the latter impeded him wasn't 'intentional' on his part.

As per ESPN, the 26-year-old explained his aggressively cutting across in front of the MCL38:

"Yeah, well, I mean the version is very simple. Lando exited the pit lane and I was behind on a push lap. Then when he aborted, I also aborted, I braked to be alongside him and I misjudged," Leclerc said.

"So I was on the right, I didn't want to impede either of the cars behind, and so I was a bit in the middle by being frustrated and looking in the mirrors to try and not impede, and then we collided, but it was more misunderstanding more than anything," he added.

He further emphasized that despite his frustration, he never wanted to "touch because obviously in FP3 that's the last thing you want to do to damage the car, well my car first of all, because I've got qualifying right after. So it's never the goal, but yeah."

After securing his second pole position at the Circuit de Catalunya on Saturday, Lando Norris was unaware of Charles Leclerc escaping a penalty and was left puzzled by the reprimand when he was told by Max Verstappen. He claimed that his "front wing was completely f----d" and the decision was "crazy."