F1 Expert Says FIA ‘Prioritizes Entertainment’ After Max Verstappen Avoids Punishment at Azerbaijan GP

After a long and grueling race in Baku which saw Max Verstappen finish only P5, the stewards summoned him due to Lando Norris complaining about his on-track actions after the chequered flag. The race ended under Virtual Safety Car conditions due to Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz’s penultimate lap crash, during which Verstappen overtook a few cars.

As Norris saw his championship rival overtaking cars under the VSC [after the chequered flag], he reported the same to his team, which led to the FIA stewards summoning the Dutchman. F1 expert Cameron spoke about this incident at length on his YouTube channel and speculated whether the FIA is prioritizing entertainment over implementing the rules in a fair and consistent manner.

| Max Verstappen has been given a warning for overtaking under the VSC after the Azerbaijan GP.

The stewards noted that while passing after the checkered flag isn’t unusual, it’s not allowed during yellow flags, Safety Car, or VSC situations. #F1 #AzerbaijanGP https://t.co/RO7AP57QBZ

— Pitinsider.com (@pitinsider) September 15, 2024

“I do not understand why the FIA has not instituted a punishment to Max Verstappen in real-time”, Cameron remarked. “Maybe it would have something to do with this being the WWE equivalent for Formula 1, maybe they prioritize Sports entertainment, therefore over them instituting the rules and implementing them consistently across all related parties.”

He even referred to an incident from the 1994 British GP when Michael Schumacher was penalized for a similar offense. On the formation lap, Schumacher overtook pole sitter Damon Hill twice. Naturally, it was against the rules to overtake cars on the formation lap and Schumacher received a five-second stop-go penalty. However, the German driver failed to serve it by lap 21, as was required.

This led to the display of the black flag, indicating that he must return to the pits immediately to retire from the race. However, Schumacher ignored the black flag and continued the race to ultimately finish second. Eventually, the German driver received a two-race ban and was also disqualified from the Silverstone race classification.

However, Verstappen received no penalties and was let go with just a warning, given he overtook cars after the chequered flag. The stewards noted that while passing after the chequered flag is not unusual, drivers must proceed with caution during yellow flags, VSC, or safety car conditions, as they cannot know if emergency equipment or marshals are on the track.

Verstappen even expressed his surprise at being called in, stating he had followed all rules correctly. He mentioned that it’s common practice for drivers to pass each other slowly or congratulate each other on the in-lap, even under safety car or virtual safety car conditions. Still, the stewards warned him about severe penalties impending if he repeated such an offense.