The United States Grand Prix saw some controversial decisions by FIA involving Max Verstappen yet again. During the Sprint race, the Dutchman was spotted on the track, making an aggressive move to defend his pole position from Charles Leclerc. Although the 26-year-old ultimately won the race, ex-F1 champion, Jacques Villeneuve seems to be unimpressed. In a recent interview with F1 TV Pro, 1997 F1 winner Jacques Villeneuve emphasized Verstappen’s daring move over Charles Leclerc at turn 1.
The two started from the front row for the sprint on Saturday, with Leclerc having enough roar at the start to edge his front wheels alongside pole-sitter Verstappen. As the pair approached turn 1’s left-hand hairpin, the Dutchman appeared to be steering the Moengasque completely across the pit lane exit. Then, because of the Red Bull driver’s aggressiveness, Leclerc was cramped at Turn 1, allowing Lewis Hamilton to attack him and finally finish ahead of the Monegasque.
Though both drivers were quick to record their feelings after the race, it appears that Verstappen’s bold actions weren’t pleasing to Jacques Villeneuve. According to the Canadian driver, the FIA should not have left the Dutchman free and have intervened to penalize the Red Bull driver.
Jacques Villeneuve demands a penalty for Max Verstappen
The US GP Sprint race was surely one to remember for the entire Red Bull family, as it made Verstappen the only driver to win three Sprint races. However, following the stunning win, when Motorsports.com questioned Verstappen and Leclerc about the incident, they answered in a manner that corresponded to their personas. While Verstappen claimed that the maneuver was the only way to maintain his position, Leclerc answered calmly, admitting that he held no grudge against his competitor and that the action was hard but correct.
However, Villeneuve felt the move by the Dutchman was far too aggressive to be overlooked by the stewards. Given that it cost Leclerc some critical points, the 52-year-old told F1 TV that Verstappen should have been penalized. He said, “Leclerc was pushed off the track, it’s too much. It wasn’t necessary. I don’t understand why the first lap should be evaluated differently, a dirty maneuver or pushing a car to the limits of the track are things that should be investigated.”
Even though the race is done, Villanueve’s comments cannot be dismissed altogether. This is because the FIA has recently been quite gentle in its approach to reprimanding Verstappen, which does not appear to be appreciated by other F1 entities.
Moments when the FIA took a lenient approach towards Mx Verstappen
When it comes to Max Verstappen, FIA authorities appear to be more lenient, and there are a few incidents to back this up. The first incident occurred just last month at the Singapore Grand Prix, where the FIA had their work cut out for them despite Verstappen being involved in a few collisions. Following Saturday’s qualifying, the stewards summoned him to discuss three different impeding incidents in which he was involved. The 26-year-old was then examined for two incidents on the track and one in the pit lane. However, according to reports, the FIA ultimately chose not to sanction the three-time champion for any incident.
The second incident involves Lewis Hamilton’s latest fine for crossing the live race track after his crash in Qatar. There, the Mercedes Maestro was fined $52,000 for his actions. Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok was quick to point out a similar occurrence involving Max Verstappen. In one of his Twitter posts, Chandhok cited the Dutchman’s 2021 antics, in which the Red Bull driver was seen crossing the track after a crash but was not handled as seriously as Hamilton.
Lastly, the incident during the tumultuous Australian Grand Prix sparked much debate about the race restart on lap 57. F1 fans took to social media to highlight Verstappen’s grid position before the restart. In the pictures, the Dutchman’s RB19 appeared to be just ahead of the white line, which is a violation that calls for a penalty. But, the officials clearly did not pay attention and missed the whole thing.
Hence, while wrapping up we must say unlike in season 2021, where Verstappen crashed repeatedly, this year he showed maturity and mastered the track while racing in his RB19. However, with four races left, it remains to be seen whether Verstappen can break his own record for most races won in a season.
