Motorsport Blog
Debate: Did Verstappen deserve a penalty?
The tension of the Austrian Grand Prix lingered hours after the chequered flag had fallen, but the stewards decided that 'no further action' was necessary for Verstappen's late-race move. Do you agree?
Max Verstappen's second consecutive Austrian Grand Prix win was thrown into doubt when the stewards announced that they would be investigated his race-winning overtake on Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
The Red Bull driver - who had a slow getaway on the opening lap of the race - completed a remarkable rise to first place on lap 69 when he overtook Leclerc for the lead at turn three.
Managing to exploit a gap on the inside line of the corner, Verstappen made assertive attempt at holding the position by taking a wide exit. With contact being made, Leclerc backed out and yielded the place.
With a range of opinions coming forward about the overtake, some suggested that Verstappen took a wider-than-necessary line in order to force Leclerc off the road, whilst others believed that, as the person who had the racing line, Verstappen was entitled to take the line that he took.
Some pointed to the inclusion of a generous run-off zone, and that Leclerc wouldn't have been tempted to drive around the outside if the tarmac didn't extend beyond the track limits. In turn, this might have encouraged Leclerc concede the corner at an earlier point.
Ultimately, the stewards ruled: "In the totality of the circumstances, we did not consider that either driver was wholly or predominantly to blame for the incident. We consider that this is a racing incident.”
What do you think? Did Verstappen deserve a time penalty, or do you think that the incident should not have been investigated? Listen to Ed Straw and Scott Mitchell dissect the Austrian GP talking points on the Autosport Podcast and leave your thoughts in the comments section below:
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| Series | Formula 1 |
| Author | Luke Murphy |
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