P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen accepted that he deserved a five-second penalty for forcing Charles Leclerc off the road on the opening lap of the Las Vegas Grand Prix – but in doing so he missed the flaw in Formula 1’s most abused penalty
“Max Verstappen accepted that he deserved a five-second penalty for forcing Charles Leclerc off the road on the opening lap of the Las Vegas Grand Prix – but in doing so he missed the flaw in Formula 1’s most abused penalty. A highly entertaining fight for the Las Vegas GP started with Verstappen forcing his RB19 down the inside of poleman Leclerc into the low-speed Turn 1 left-hander. Both drivers braked as late as they could and Verstappen skirted just beyond the limit of the track, taking Leclerc with him. Verstappen claimed the lead but the stewards took a dim view and quickly dished out their penalty of choice in 2023: a five-second time penalty to be served at Verstappen’s next pitstop. While Verstappen was unhappy with the penalty initially, upon a post-race review and chat with Leclerc, he accepted full responsibility. Leclerc agreed it was deserved but believes there would be a better way to penalise drivers. When asked for his thoughts on Leclerc’s suggestion of a ‘hand position back’ order, Verstappen didn’t see the point. The problem with Verstappen’s logic is that it is only a “similar” penalty in some circumstances. The slew of what have seemed to be premeditated illegal overtakes throughout this year have not happened because drivers felt the 5s penalty was similar to staying behind the car they were attacking.”
