F1 steward reveals: this punishment would get Verstappen in Bahrain

Max Verstappen narrowly lost against Lewis Hamilton in the battle for victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix. After a controversial overtaking action, the Dutchman had to give the place back to Hamilton. Formula 1 steward Emanuele Pirro does in the Corriere dello Sport open a booklet about that overtaking action and the track limits during the GP weekend.

“It was clear that both in practice and in qualifying whoever went off the track in turn four would lose his lap time. That has happened several times with several drivers,” explains Pirro.

Before the race, however, that rule changed. If a driver were to get out of the track multiple times or to have a lasting benefit from it, the commissars would consider it. Hamilton took full advantage of the rule’s interpretation and drove long laps outside the track in turn four.

Pirro: “Hamilton went over the track limits a bit too often, creating a repeated advantage. That’s why Masi, the only one who has the authority to talk to the teams, called Mercedes to warn them that if Hamilton would do it even more often. he would get the black and white flag. That could end up punishing him “. he explains. Hamilton then neatly adhered to the rules.

Although opinions differ on track limits and their interpretation, Verstappen’s overtaking action on Hamilton is an easy thing, Pirro thinks.

“There can be no misunderstanding there, according to the sporting regulations paragraph 27.3 it is very clear: You cannot do an overtaking action where you go over the track limits. Verstappen did, although he did not do it on purpose, he simply went a bit wide. At that point, Masi warned and advised Red Bull that Verstappen could give his position back.

“A race director will never oblige anything, because he is not allowed to, he can only suggest it. Verstappen gave back the place and we did not have to deal with the case more specifically.”

After the race, Verstappen said he would rather have won the race with a penalty, than finish second in this way. He said he had easily walked more than five seconds away from Hamilton in the remaining laps.

Afterwards, the Dutchman is proved right by the steward when it comes to the extent of the punishment, a hard blow for Verstappen. “He would always have received a maximum of 5 seconds.”

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