Hope for Verstappen: Chance to avoid penalty due to technicality

Max Verstappen is facing a grid penalty after the stewards decided to penalise him for ignoring a double yellow flag. However, there may be mitigating circumstances, Red Bull Racing's Senior Systems Engineer explained on Twitter.

Mitigating circumstances for Verstappen

The engineer shared an image showing a section of the regulations surrounding yellow flag situations and the following accompanying text: "Have some hope Max fans, we could get away with this on a technicality."

The regulations state that the marshalls are responsible for giving signals, but that in the evening this can be replaced by lights and reflective panels. Red Bull Racing can use this as an argument in an attempt to get Verstappen off the hook.

Onboard footage of the Dutchman showed that the signal did not appear on his dashboard or on the panel next to the track. A marshall did wave double yellow flags, but it could certainly be seen as mitigating circumstances.

But have some hope Max fans, we might be getting away with this on a technicality https://t.co/jAOTmJNiI0 pic.twitter.com/1A507B4XlQ

— Engine 11 Position 5 (@EngineMode11) November 20, 2021