The FIA have given their official reasoning for giving Red Bull’s Max Verstappen a 20-second time penalty at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Verstappen was punished for two separate incidents with his Drivers’ Championship rival Lando Norris on lap eight of the race.
The Dutchman was adjudged to have forced the McLaren driver off the track and gained a lasting advantage for leaving the track respective, and was given a 10-second time penalty for each incident.
Norris would eventually finish the race in second after overtaking Charles Leclerc late on, with Verstappen in sixth.
The gap between the pair is now down to 47 points with four Grands Prix and two sprint races remaining, with Verstappen still in control despite his poor result in Mexico.
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Now, after much debate throughout the Grand Prix and differing reactions from both drivers, the FIA have released two documents which explain the stewards’ decision to hand Verstappen a significant penalty.
The first document – surrounding the first incident at turn four – reads: “Norris was attempting to overtake on the outside of Verstappen at Turn 4.
“Norris was ahead of Verstappen at the entry, apex and towards the exit of the turn when he started being forced off track.
“The Stewards believe that the maneuver was done in a safe and controlled manner and that Norris would have been able to make the maneuver on the track had he not been forced off the track by Verstappen.
“The penalty is the standard penalty in such cases.”
FIA
And on the turn eight incident, the stewards state: “Following the incident at Turn 4, Verstappen attempted to pass Norris on the inside at Turn 8.
“Verstappen was ahead at the apex of Turn 8 and would have been entitled to racing room.
“However, he was not able to complete the maneuver on the track, left the track and kept the lasting advantage gaining the position, incidentally forcing Norris off the track.
“The penalty is the standard penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage.”
Notably, the FIA removed the first document from their official website shortly after publication. The reason for this has not yet been made clear.
