Lando Norris landed himself in hot water with Formula 1 on Friday when the McLaren driver broadcasted a live chat with his fans on Twitch.
During Friday's washout, when everyone was trying to keep themselves occupied or entertained during the endless wait, Norris kicked off a Twitch stream in his driver's room flanked by McLaren teammate Carlos Sainz.
The pair were interacting with their fans who were also patiently waiting for proceedings to start when a member of the McLaren team ordered the two drivers to immediately end the stream, insisting F1 were "not happy" with the online initiative.
"What?!" replied a bewildered Norris.
"Ok I think it is time to say goodbye," Sainz added. “We need to say adios. We’re getting told off!"
A disappointed Norris ended the broadcast by telling his fans to "Go and blame F1, chat."
It's likely Norris fell foul of Formula 1's media rights that restricts drivers from streaming live from the paddock, even if it is from the confines of a private space at the track.
When it took over Formula 1 in 2017, Liberty Media gave teams and drivers greater freedom to engage with fans on social media from inside the circuit, relaxing the rules that had been highly controlled up to then by former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
Teams and drivers were issued a formal set of guidelines, but streaming live from the paddock is still off limits for everyone.
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
Today, we at F1i.com raise a celebratory glass to our esteemed founder, Bertrand Gachot, who…
McLaren roared back to the pinnacle of Formula 1 in 2024, clinching their first Constructors'…
Liam Lawson has revealed that he became the target of online abuse by fans of…
As Carlos Sainz prepares for a new chapter in his Formula 1 career with Williams,…
Sebastian Montoya, the 19-year-old son of former Formula 1 star Juan Pablo Montoya, is set…
When former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto took on the role of Chief Operating Officer…