Verstappen Given “Hardest” Penalty for Austria Clash with Norris, says FIA Steward Herbert
In the aftermath of the Austrian Grand Prix, FIA steward Johnny Herbert has revealed that Max Verstappen was handed the “hardest” permitted penalty in Formula 1 for his clash with Lando Norris. The incident occurred on lap 43, when Verstappen moved across on Norris in the braking zone at Turn 3, resulting in both drivers incurring punctures.
Speaking to Coin Poker, Herbert explained that the stewards were on the verge of penalising Norris for track limits when the incident transpired. “When we were watching it, it immediately came down to whose fault was it. And it was Max’s,” Herbert said. “The interesting thing is we were just about to penalise Lando at the time because he had gone outside the track limit four times, and we gave him a five-second penalty literally at the moment they came into contact.”
Despite Norris retiring from the race, Verstappen retained his fifth-place finish due to the 10-second time drop. However, Herbert defends the decision, stating that the stewards could not be harsher. “That is the hardest one that can be applied under FIA guidelines that we operate under as stewards,” he emphasized.
“It is all about consistency. We have to abide by the FIA regulations which say if there is a car which makes contact with another car it is a 10-second penalty full stop. That is the consistency which you need.”
Herbert’s comments come in response to McLaren boss Andrea Stella‘s argument that Verstappen’s result remaining unchanged once the time drop was added demonstrates that the rulebook warrants a discussion. However, Herbert counters that the stewards’ panel can’t distinguish between how severe the collision was or what the implications were during an investigation.
Regarding Stella’s comments about Verstappen deserving to be disciplined more, Herbert reiterated, “It is all about consistency. We have to abide by the FIA regulations which say if there is a car which makes contact with another car it is a 10-second penalty full stop. That is the consistency which you need.”
Herbert also denied that Verstappen’s uncompromising approach to racing his competitors has meant that the stewards at specific events single him out each round. “The stewards only react to what is put in front of them,” he explained. “They are not looking for it or waiting for it. Everybody is going to be aware of it. Everyone knows Max races at the very edge and sometimes goes over it.”
When asked about Norris’ role in the incident, Herbert quashed the argument that the young Briton should have attempted more to avoid the contact. “Lando did the right thing. He did not move. He did not have to. Some people said he could have moved. But that is not how you beat Max or how you win the Grand Prix,” Herbert said.
As the season unfolds, Herbert will be intrigued to see how Verstappen deals with replica situations now that Red Bull has a challenge. “It was Max’s fault. He is a hard racer. He is very, very hard to beat. He intimidates everybody,” Herbert admitted. “That intimidation is something that Lewis, Michael Schumacher, and Ayrton Senna, have always done. When you come up against Max as he is driving today, there’s a point if you’re Lando that you have to say: ‘I am here. I am at your side. You are trying to squeeze me off the circuit. And I am not going to move.'”
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