F1 pundit reveals many rival teams don't think Verstappen's penalty for Russell crash was punishment enough
Max Verstappen. Image: Red Bull Content Pool.
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A filmmaker with a soft spot for Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen and above all, Tazio Nuvolari and Ayrton Senna, is also a diehard Formula One fan since the age of 4 (mid-90's). An avid researcher of the past of Grand Prix Racing since before it was even named F1, and with a thirst for knowledge of the ins and outs of the actuality of the sport, as well as for the technical aspects that define it, is a member of GPblog since 2023, where he has put his love of racing to good use.
F1TV pundit and RACER journalist, Chris Medland has stated that there's ample disagreement in the F1 paddock with regards to the penalty Max Verstappen received for his clash with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix.
After his controversial manoeuvre for which the Dutchman has since apologised, the crash is still being talked about. Replying to fans' question the The RACER mailbag, Medland revealed that the general consensus in the paddock is one of confusion.
Why was Verstappen not handed a harsher peanlty? “I honestly don’t know," a dumbfounded Medland replied. "Many rival team members in the paddock asked the same question, but the overriding feeling was that it’s dangerous for the stewards to assume intent when making a decision during a race."
Max Verstappen and George Russell at the pitlane in Barcelona
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Vettel got a 10-second stop and go for deliberately crashing into Hamilton
During the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel, after believing Lewis Hamilton had brake-checked him, pulled up alongside the Briton and steered into him. The penalty set for the former German F1 driver should've served as precedent, Medland argues.
“The fact that Sebastian Vettel got a 10-second stop/go in Baku in 2017 for hitting Lewis Hamilton under the safety car should have been a precedent in my opinion, but the stewards went with the standard causing a collision penalty.”
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