Max Verstappen avoids grid penalty for Dutch Grand Prix

Max Verstappen on Zandvoort — Photo: © LAT Images

Dutch Grand Prix

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Verstappen avoids grid penalty for Dutch Grand Prix

Verstappen was investigated for alleged red-flag breach

Ian Parkes

Saturday 4 September 2021 12:02 Updated: 12:07

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has avoided a grid penalty for his home grand prix after being investigated for an alleged red-flag breach.

Verstappen was summoned to the Dutch GP stewards 75 minutes before the start of the final practice session at Zandvoort for an incident that occurred in FP2.

That session was halted after just five minutes when Lewis Hamilton sustained what was reported to be an abnormal oil pressure issue and was ordered by Mercedes to stop his car.

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After pulling over at turn eight, the red flags were then shown to allow Hamilton's car to be recovered. Television footage, however, showed Verstappen overtaking Aston Martin's Lance Stroll between turns 10 and 11.

Following the hearing, in which the stewards reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, telemetry, team radio and in-car and CCTV video, read: "The race management system indicates that the red flag and red lights were initiated at 15:10:12.

"When VER passed light panel 14 [which is prior to the point of the overtake] it was not illuminated.

"As VER approached the rear of the car [within a few metres] of STR, the red light on VER’s steering wheel activated.

"At this point VER’s speed was 260kph and STR’s was 110kph, a delta of 150kph.

"At this point, telemetry shows that VER immediately lifted and braked. Because of the speed delta, VER’s momentum carried him past STR.

"Simultaneously the light panel 15 [showing red] became visible to VER. At approximately 15:10:17 the team radioed VER “Red flag”.

"It is our conclusion that the driver of car 33 took every reasonable action to comply with the regulations in that he immediately reduced speed in a safe manner at the earliest opportunity upon the first indication of the red flag, even before a red flag or red light panel was visible to him, and that this satisfies the requirements of the Code [Art 2.5.4.1 b of Appendix H of the International Sporting Code]."