BREAKING: Red Bull’s Verstappen Penalized and Demoted After C…read more
Red Bull’s Verstappen Penalized and Demoted After Controversial Incident at Spanish Grand Prix
Tensions ran high at the Spanish Grand Prix as Max Verstappen was hit with a 10-second time penalty and dropped from fifth to tenth place in the final standings following a controversial clash with Mercedes’ George Russell. The incident has sparked widespread debate and led 2016 Formula 1 World Champion Nico Rosberg to call for Verstappen’s disqualification.
The incident occurred shortly after a safety car restart, when Verstappen appeared to make deliberate contact with Russell. The two cars collided twice over a few laps, with the first coming at Turn 1. In response, Red Bull instructed Verstappen to surrender the position to Russell to avoid official penalties. Verstappen, clearly unhappy with the directive, initially slowed as if to comply — only to sharply steer back toward Russell in what looked like an aggressive maneuver before accelerating again to maintain position.
Though he eventually yielded the place, race stewards later reviewed the footage and penalized Verstappen with a 10-second time penalty. The post-race decision demoted him to tenth place, costing him valuable points in the championship race and reigniting debates about driver conduct.
Commentating for Sky Sports F1, Rosberg voiced strong criticism of Verstappen’s actions. “That’s just bad — really bad,” he said. “He clearly rammed into him. That deserves a black flag.” Rosberg compared the move to past incidents, including Sebastian Vettel’s clash with Lewis Hamilton, insisting that such behavior warrants disqualification.
While the FIA has not yet taken further action, pressure is mounting for a more severe penalty. With the championship battle intensifying, Verstappen’s controversial maneuver is likely to remain a hot topic in the F1 world.
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