Christian Horner produces onboard proof to dispute Max Verstappen’s penalty

Purple Bull boss Christian Horner has mentioned the staff is unlikely to protest the penalty determination that value Max Verstappen his victory on the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

The reigning, four-time world champion began on pole, however completed runner-up to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri after receiving a five-second penalty for a lap one incident.

Piastri attacked down the within of Flip 1 and Verstappen subsequently went off on the subsequent a part of the chicane to safeguard his lead.

Verstappen and Purple Bull opted in opposition to handing the place to Piastri as a result of they felt the Australian compelled him off – however stewards deemed in any other case and the world champion served his penalty within the pitlane, subsequently dropping behind his fellow front-row starter. 

It successfully determined the grand prix, leaving Verstappen and the staff livid. Horner revealed it was unlikely that Purple Bull would request a proper of overview, although the squad should current the stewards with probably new proof.

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“Clearly, we spoke to the stewards after the race,” Horner mentioned. “They suppose it was a slam dunk. So the issue is, if we’re to protest it, then they will more than likely maintain their line.

“We’ll ask them to take a look on the onboard footage that wasn’t obtainable on the time. We’ll put this in entrance of them first, however I feel it is extremely unlikely.”

Christian Horner, Purple Bull Racing

Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photographs

Horner mentioned that whereas producing screenshots of Verstappen’s onboard digicam to reveal his driver was forward on the Flip 1 apex.

“I believed it was very harsh,” he added. “We did not concede the place as a result of we did not consider that he’d carried out something improper.

“You’ll be able to fairly clearly see on the apex of the nook that Max is clearly forward. The foundations of engagement have been mentioned beforehand, and it was a really harsh determination.

“If we would have given it up, the issue is you then clearly run within the soiled air as properly and you might be then in danger with George [Russell], so the most effective factor to do was at that time we received the penalty, get your head down, maintain going.

“We have been in good condition. We needed to serve the five-second penalty, and thereafter, on the identical primary stint as Oscar he completed 2.6 seconds behind, so with out that five-second penalty in the present day it could have been a win.

“However there’s at all times going to be a distinction of opinion over a really marginal determination like that.”

Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Picture by: Gabriel Bouys – AFP – Getty Photographs

Horner mentioned the truth that the stewards handed out a five-second penalty as a substitute of the standard 10-second recommended that they have been additionally in two minds in regards to the incident on the time.

“Yeah, I feel they have been,” he mentioned. “While you have a look at that [points to screenshot], I am unable to see how they received to that conclusion.

“Max cannot simply disappear at this cut-off date, so maybe these guidelines want a re-look at. I do not know what occurred to allow them to race on the primary lap. That simply appeared to have been deserted.”

Photographs from Saudi Arabian GP – Race

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On this article

Filip Cleeren

Formulation 1

Max Verstappen

Purple Bull Racing

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