Breaking:Verstappen Escapes Penalty as FIA Concludes Spanish GP Incident In… read more
Verstappen Escapes Penalty as FIA Concludes Spanish GP Incident In… read more
Max Verstappen was at the center of controversy during the Spanish Grand Prix following a late-race collision with George Russell. Despite Red Bull instructing him to yield a position to the Mercedes driver, Verstappen challenged the order, ultimately making contact with Russell. The stewards have since confirmed they sided with Verstappen’s judgment in one of the incidents, stating that he had the right to defend his position.
The incident occurred late in the race after Verstappen and Russell clashed twice in quick succession. The first came just after a safety car restart, where Verstappen ran off-track at Turn 1 but managed to stay ahead of Russell. Red Bull, anticipating a penalty, immediately advised their driver to relinquish the position to avoid further complications. This instruction reportedly infuriated Verstappen, who believed he had done nothing wrong.
Although Verstappen initially complied with the team’s order, a second clash occurred shortly after, leading to heavier contact between the two cars. This time, the stewards reviewed the situation and decided to penalize Verstappen for what appeared to be an intentional move against Russell. The penalty was handed down after the race, dropping Verstappen from a potential fifth-place finish to tenth.
Speaking to the media post-race, Verstappen admitted that the intention behind the move was irrelevant to him, remarking that it “doesn’t matter” whether the contact was deliberate. His frustration was evident, especially considering the penalty’s consequences on both his race result and championship standing.
In their official statement, the race stewards addressed both incidents. Regarding the initial clash, they ruled that Verstappen was within his rights at Turn 1 and that no advantage was gained by going off-track. “From the radio communications, it was clear that the driver of car 1 was asked by his team to ‘give the position back’ to car 63 for what they perceived to be an earlier breach by car 1 for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage (in fact, we had later determined that we would take no further action in relation to that incident),” read the statement.
The aftermath of the penalty is particularly damaging for Verstappen’s championship hopes. His demotion to tenth place cost him valuable points, while rival Oscar Piastri continued his impressive form by claiming a fifth victory of the season. Piastri now holds a commanding 49-point lead over the Dutchman in the standings.
In addition to the lost points, Verstappen was handed three penalty points on his FIA superlicence, bringing his total to 11 within a 12-month period. One more point over the next two races would trigger a one-race suspension, a rare and serious repercussion in Formula 1.
Adding to Verstappen’s turbulent day, a separate incident involving Charles Leclerc was also investigated but ultimately deemed unworthy of further action. Meanwhile, Russell’s position remained unaffected despite the clashes, leaving Verstappen to shoulder the consequences of a contentious afternoon in Barcelona.
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