FIA adamant Verstappen treated no differently to Hamillton over track limits furore

FIA race director Michael Masi is adamant Max Verstappen was not treated differently to Lewis Hamilton over the track limits furore during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.

Hamilton was given a warning by his team - via race control - he would be penalised should he continue to exceed the limits imposed at turn four after continually running wide of the red and white kerb.

As Verstappen hunted down Hamilton in the closing stages of the race and passed the seven-time champion for the lead on lap 53, the Red Bull driver ran beyond the same kerb and was immediately ordered to give the place back.

It proved to be a pivotal moment as Verstappen was unable to mount another attack on Hamilton who went on to win his 96th Formula 1 race by 0.746s.

Asked as to why Hamilton escaped with exceeding track limits for half the race but Verstappen was penalised for what appeared to be his first offence, Masi replied: "It's actually quite different, and very clearly specifically different, and consistent with both the notes and what was discussed with the drivers in the drivers' meeting.

"If an overtake takes place with a car off track and gains an advantage, a lasting advantage, then I will go on the radio and suggest to the team that they immediately relinquish that position, and that was made very clear.

"With regard to the tolerance given to people running outside the track limits during the race, it was mentioned very clearly in the drivers' meeting and the notes that it would not be monitored in setting the lap time, so to speak.

"However, it will always be monitored in accordance with the sporting regulations, being that a lasting advantage overall must not be gained.

"As everyone saw, the notes were updated between FP1 and FP2 as a result of what we were seeing, and it was made very clear that for practice and qualifying that it would be all four wheels to the left of the red and white kerb."

Despite suggestions, Masi is adamant "nothing changed at all during the race" with regard to those instructions.

"We had two people that were looking in that area at every car every lap, and pretty much every car bar one was doing the right thing within what we expected in a general sequence," added Masi.

"There was the occasional car that had a bit of a moment, went out there, but it wasn't a constant thing.

"Red Bull were given an instruction immediately by myself that I suggested they relinquish that position, as listed in the sporting regulations, which they did, for gaining a lasting advantage by overtaking another car off the race track."

As to the punishment that would have been imposed upon Verstappen if he had chosen to ignore the instruction, Masi said: "If the team had chosen not to give that position back, the matter would have been referred to the stewards.

"What they deem appropriate in the circumstances is generally a time penalty, and from what we've seen it could be five seconds, it could be 10."

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