Helmut Marko Criticizes Verstappen’s Penalty as “Harsh, In F2…”
The Formula 1 world was left abuzz after Red Bull’s Max Verstappen faced a controversial penalty during the recent race in Jeddah. The penalty, which ultimately cost him the victory, has sparked a heated debate within the racing community.
Renowned Austrian manager, Helmut Marko, did not hold back in expressing his discontent with the penalty imposed on Verstappen. In a post-race interview with Sky Sport Deutschland, Marko voiced his frustration, stating, “I believe the race was lost at the start. Where was Max supposed to go? In the Formula 2 race, the same thing happened to two or three drivers, and only warnings were issued. So, those five seconds were quite severe.”
The incident in question occurred when Verstappen, after a poor start, found himself side by side with Oscar Piastri into Turn 1. Verstappen attempted to hold his ground by cutting the chicane, leading to a five-second penalty. Marko further analyzed the situation, highlighting the intricacies of the on-track battle, “Piastri was initially ahead, but in the final phase of braking, Max was in front. It’s pointless to discuss it anyway, that’s how it went. The positive thing is that the speed was there, but overtaking is incredibly difficult.”
Despite the setback, Marko remained optimistic about Verstappen’s performance, pondering the outcome if the penalty had not been applied, “Once the penalty arrived, we only thought about safely securing the second position. Could Max have won without the penalty? Yes.”
The controversial penalty has reignited the ongoing conversation surrounding race stewardship and the consistency of decisions in Formula 1. As the season progresses, all eyes will be on how such incidents shape the championship battle between Verstappen and his rival Lewis Hamilton.