Debate | Should the stewards have penalised Verstappen?

It was bound to happen: title rivals Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton flying off together. The tension between the two has been fierce since Silverstone and reached a new high in Monza.

The stewards have reached their verdict: they have designated Verstappen as the guilty party in the incident and he will have to accept a three-place grid penalty in Sochi. But is the verdict right?

Here and there the comparison with the incident at Silverstone is made. There it was Hamilton who was punished, but he didn't feel any pain after the race because he won. That incident however had much bigger consequences for Verstappen than for Hamilton.

For the crash at Monza, this is not the case. Both rivals were eliminated, so any penalty can only be handed out before the next Grand Prix. As a result, Verstappen faces a three-place grid penalty in Sochi.

The stewards' decision is remarkable, as it raises the question of what would have happened if Verstappen had been able to continue driving. Would he have received a ten second time penalty, just like Hamilton? In that case, it is important for the stewards to take a close look at the penalty procedures, because it can suggest that a driver can get away with causing a crash, as long as he doesn't become a victim as well. That being said, Verstappen has won from fourth on the grid three times in his career.