Formula 1 was set for a classic showdown for the 2025 World Championship. Three drivers, one championship, and everything coming down to the final laps in Abu Dhabi. Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Max Verstappen were locked in a title fight so tight that every overtake felt like it could rewrite history.

For Norris, the math was simple: finish at least third, or watch the championship slip away. And though he eventually clinched the title with a P3 finish, a clash controversy involving a penalty didn’t sit well with the fans, as they accused F1 of rewarding a ‘paper champion’.

The controversial Lap 23 clash involving Norris and Tsunoda

With the 2025 title on the line, Norris wasn’t just racing for position; he was racing for survival. But on lap 23, as he swept around the outside of Yuki Tsunoda with the help of DRS, the McLaren star appeared to leave the track entirely. That opened two investigations.

The first one revolved around whether Norris had gained an advantage by going off the circuit. On the other hand, the second one focused on whether Tsunoda had forced another driver wide. And the championship stakes only heightened the tension. Tsunoda, fiercely defending with Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen’s title hopes still alive, made no attempt to hide his intention.

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He was determined to hold Lando Norris up, make his life difficult, and keep Max Verstappen in play. Instead, the move dangerously backfired. The stewards, after investigating the incident, deemed Tsunoda at fault. As a result, they issued a five-second penalty for forcing another driver off the track. But Lando Norris escaped without any repercussions.

“Penalty?! What penalty, bro?!” is what Tsunoda shouted on the radio when he got to know.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown quickly defended the ruling, shutting down any suggestion that Lando Norris had benefited unfairly.

“It was clearly the right decision,” Brown told Sky Sports. “That was a dangerous and unnecessary manoeuvre. This is a team sport, so I’m not surprised that the second car is going to help out, but I think there’s got to be a limit.”

The message from the stewards was unmistakable: Red Bull had pushed too far, and Lando Norris was well within his rights to fight back. But if the stewards were satisfied, fans absolutely weren’t. As soon as the verdict dropped, a wave of fury crashed across social platforms.

Fans accuse F1 of “rigging” the title for Lando Norris

The moment the stewards cleared Lando Norris of wrongdoing, the internet lit up like a bonfire. While the official ruling laid out a clear explanation, many fans weren’t having it. Especially supporters of Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda, who felt the call swung the championship unfairly.

One furious fan wrote, “F1 Totally Rigged This Whole Thing To Favour Norris… Dude Had All Tyres Completely Off The Track pffttt… Gave Penalty To Only Yuki, What A Joke.”

But the stewards’ report told a different story. According to them, Tsunoda had appeared to defend and change his racing line multiple times. However, only one defensive move is allowed under FIA rules.

Their statement read: “The driver of Car 4 overtook Car 22 off track, however this occurred because the driver of Car 22 made multiple moves defending his position against Car 4. Had Car 22 not made those moves, Car 4 would have overtaken it without going off track but moved off track to avoid contact with Car 22. Whilst technically the overtake took place off track, we determine in view of the above, to take no further action.”

And as with any incident involving F1, that didn’t stop the memes. Another user posted a photo of Max Verstappen giving the middle finger with the caption: “McLaren take your rigged championship 🤡.”

A third fan chimed in, saying, “Max fans really thought Lando was getting the penalty. 💀” This was a clear jab at how Verstappen ultimately lost the title by a razor-thin two points in the end.

Meanwhile, some fans invoked the sport’s most infamous flashpoint: Abu Dhabi 2021. One fan commented, “Manufacturing the championship like in 2021. You just can’t help it, can you?”

That night, Verstappen won the championship after race director Michael Masi made a controversial call to allow only certain lapped cars to unlap themselves. This set up a final-lap shootout that handed Max the title over Lewis Hamilton.

To many, the echoes of manipulation, given the current Lando Norris accusations, still linger. But ironically, even if Norris had received a five-second penalty, it wouldn’t have changed the championship picture. He finished more than seven seconds clear of Charles Leclerc in fourth, meaning the title still would’ve been his.

But that’s the thing about Formula 1 (or other motorsports). Facts rarely matter once fan emotions take over. On one side, the ruling was perfectly reasonable. On the other hand, it looked like another chapter in a long-running conspiracy to shape narratives, protect favorites, or manufacture drama. And so the debate continues: was this just racing, or another decision destined to divide the fanbase?