Former triple time world champions and Mercedes F1 non-executive chairman Niki Lauda has called Max Verstappen’s US Grand Prix penalty as the worst decision he has ever seen in Formula 1.
Red Bull driver Max’s sensible overtaking move on Kimi Raikkonen on the inside of Turn 17 on the final lap of the race. But the strict clarification of the regulations was judged he crossed the ‘track limit’ with all four wheels.
A five-second penalty handed him for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. Verstappen thought he’d finished third but was removed in the FIA cooldown room after the fact, promoting Raikkonen back to the final podium position, and making the second time in 12 months (2016 Mexican Grand Prix) Verstappen had lost a podium after the race actually finished.