F1 News Today: FIA release official statement on Verstappen penalty as Horner produces evidence
The reigning world champion was given a five-second penalty early in Sunday’s race for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, specifically by staying ahead of Oscar Piastri at the first corner.
The pair’s first and only pit stops saw them swap positions as Verstappen served his penalty, eventually fighting back to less than three seconds behind the Australian winner.
The document confirms that Verstappen was punished because Piastri was alongside him and entitled to attempt to pass fairly, with the stewards ruling that the Dutchman ‘gained a lasting advantage that was not given back’.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has spoken out against the decision, with Verstappen himself refusing to be drawn into overt criticism of the penalty, but the decision document revealed that the punishment could have been even more severe.
