Formula 1 Saudi Arabia GP
Verstappen: Penalised Saudi Arabian GP move "was fine in Brazil"
Max Verstappen is struggling to understand why he got penalised for running Lewis Hamilton off the track in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after not being sanctioned for a similar incident in Brazil.
Filip Cleeren
Edited: Feb 11, 2022, 5:40 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
At last month's Brazilian GP Verstappen ran Hamilton wide in Turn 4 as the British driver tried to overtake around the outside, but the incident wasn't investigated as FIA race director Michael Masi decided not to refer the matter to the stewards.
The non-call precedent caused a lot of angst in the paddock, both inside and outside the Mercedes team, because drivers were left confused about what the regulations about forcing each other off really meant, and how they would be policed going forward.
A drivers meeting before the subsequent Qatar GP failed to produce a conclusive answer.
Sunday's Saudi Arabian GP was the next occasion Verstappen and Hamilton crossed paths, and Verstappen again ran his title rival wide on two occasions.
The first time the issue was settled with Masi without getting the stewards involved, Red Bull agreeing to drop Verstappen to third behind Hamilton for the restart after a red flag.
On the second occasion the Dutchman was handed a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage outside the track, after his first attempt to let Hamilton by led to a collision, and he then immediately repassed Hamilton on the second attempt which also didn't satisfy the stewards.
Verstappen likened the Jeddah incident to his unpunished move in Brazil because both drivers left the track, and thought it was odd that "in Brazil it was fine and now suddenly I get a penalty for it."
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB16B, and Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12, make contact as they battle for the lead
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
"Of course, he had the run, a bit like Brazil, and of course I braked late, and I think I got a little bit offline at one point," Verstappen said.
"I had a moment, so I went wide, but he also didn’t make the corner so we both basically missed the corner, and I don’t think it’s fair to then just say that I get a penalty but, yeah, it is what it is.
"I find it interesting that I am the one who gets the penalty when both of us ran outside of the white lines. In Brazil it was fine and now suddenly I get a penalty for it."
Verstappen, who received an additional 10-second penalty for his role in the Turn 27 collision with Hamilton, said he didn't want to dwell too much about the events in Saudi Arabia, but reiterated that it was "a shame" that talk about penalties overshadowed the race once again, just as the two title protagonists are heading to the Abu Dhabi season finale on equal points.
"You could clearly see both didn’t make the corner, but it’s fine. I also don’t really spend too much time on it. We have to move forward," he added.
"We’re equal on points now and I think that’s really exciting, of course, for the whole championship and Formula 1 in general.
"But I said it earlier on my in-lap, I think lately we’re talking more about white lines and penalties than actually proper Formula 1 racing and that’s, I think, a little bit of a shame."
Read Also:
- 10 things we learned from F1's 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
- Masi: Verstappen F1 grid swap offer completely 'normal'
- Hamilton: Consensus on F1 overtaking rules "doesn't apply to one of us"
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Piastri handed Alpine F1 rookie test chance in Abu Dhabi
Next article Porsche: F1 interest will "influence" decision to continue in Formula E
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Filip Cleeren
Winners and losers from F1's record-breaking Mexico Grand Prix
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
6 h
Winners and losers from F1's record-breaking Mexico Grand Prix
Emotional Kimi Antonelli left "speechless" by maiden F1 world title in Mexico
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
7 h
Emotional Kimi Antonelli left "speechless" by maiden F1 world title in Mexico
More from
Max Verstappen
Red Bull drivers fear Mexico start, Max Verstappen jokes: “A Le Mans start would be just as quick”
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
20 h
Red Bull drivers fear Mexico start, Max Verstappen jokes: “A Le Mans start would be just as quick”
Latest news
Who slept worst last night: Frederic Vasseur
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Mexican GP
8 min
Who slept worst last night: Frederic Vasseur
William Byron and Rudy Fugle really needed this one
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Martinsville II
3 h
William Byron and Rudy Fugle really needed this one
It's all over but the dog and pony show as Kyle Larson nears third Cup
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Martinsville II
4 h
It's all over but the dog and pony show as Kyle Larson nears third Cup
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe