BREAKING NEWS: Schumacher Reveals What Verstappen Should Have Done After C…read more
BREAKING NEWS: Schumacher Reveals What Verstappen Should Have Done After C…read more
Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports Germany pundit Ralf Schumacher has offered his take on the controversial penalty handed to Max Verstappen at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, explaining what the Red Bull driver should have done differently to avoid the costly time sanction.
Verstappen, who has had a slower start to the 2025 season than in recent years, currently sits third in the championship after mixed results in the opening triple-header. Though he claimed victory in Japan, he could only manage sixth in Bahrain and second in Jeddah, where a five-second penalty proved pivotal.
The penalty came after Verstappen went off-track at Turn 1 while defending against McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. He rejoined the track ahead of the Australian, prompting stewards to rule that he gained an advantage unfairly — a move that led to the time penalty and loss of race position.
Although Verstappen and Red Bull were vocal in criticizing the stewards’ decision, the FIA later confirmed that the penalty could have been even more severe, potentially stretching to 10 seconds, but was reduced due to certain mitigating factors.
On the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, Schumacher argued that the actual issue wasn’t just the off-track move, but how Verstappen reacted afterward.
“In my view, and you’d need to double-check this with the stewards, it wasn’t just about cutting the corner,” Schumacher said. “It’s that he kept going and built up a lead of at least two car lengths. He just floored it and took advantage.”
Schumacher believes that had Verstappen exercised more caution, he might have avoided the penalty altogether.
“If he had backed off slightly, they could’ve gone into the next corner side by side. In that case, he might not have been penalized,” he explained. “The real problem was that he didn’t give up the advantage.”
The German ex-driver also pointed out that Piastri left little room, and the situation could easily have ended in a collision. Still, he stood by the decision to penalize Verstappen.
“Verstappen accelerated too early, and the penalty makes sense,” Schumacher said. “If not, this sets a dangerous precedent where drivers can just run others off the road after a bad start.”
With the season still young and the title race wide open, Schumacher’s comments add another layer to the discussion around Verstappen’s racing tactics and what constitutes fair play in today’s F1.
