A former Formula 1 team owner has issued his verdict on Max Verstappen’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix penalty, suggesting he should have been punished more harshly.
The Dutchman did not give the position back, causing the stewards to intervene, handing Verstappen a five-second time penalty, which all but took him out of contention for the race victory.
Piastri was duly able to get past Verstappen when he took the penalty at his pit stop, and the Australian didn’t look back, claiming his third victory of the season to climb to the top of the championship standings.
Should Verstappen have been given a stronger penalty?
An official FIA document released following the race confirmed that Verstappen’s penalty had been downgraded due to mitigating factors, with the sport’s governing body confirming why he was not given a 10-second penalty as Liam Lawson was for a similar incident.