“They think it was a slam dunk”: Red Bull boss reveals his talks with FIA stewards amid Max Verstappen’s penalty

Red Bull Racing CEO Christian Horner believes that Max Verstappen’s penalty will be further discussed with the stewards following the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Speaking to the media, including Sportskeeda, after the race, the Briton acknowledged that it was highly unlikely the team would use the ‘Right of Review’ to appeal the decision.

The incident occurred during Max Verstappen’s battle with Oscar Piastri, who was running in second place at the time. Both drivers went wheel to wheel into the corner and were side by side at the apex. With limited room to make the pass, Verstappen ended up going off track and rejoined ahead of the McLaren driver, gaining a significant advantage in the process. Typically, leaving the track and gaining an advantage results in a ten-second time penalty. In this case, had the Dutchman given the position back, he would have likely avoided a penalty. However, he continued to lead the race and was eventually handed a five-second penalty.

Horner maintained that incidents like these must be evaluated objectively, especially when there are fine margins involved. He felt it was a typical first-lap scenario but admitted that since the team did not relinquish the position, a penalty was inevitable. From the team’s perspective, he pointed out that the stewards may not have had access to all the relevant evidence during the race and suggested a review of how such first-lap incidents are judged.

He stated that the team would first present the evidence they have to the stewards in a follow-up discussion before deciding whether to proceed with a formal appeal. However, he reiterated that pursuing a Right of Review remained unlikely. In his view, challenging the decision would probably not change the outcome, as stewards usually stand by their original calls. He also noted that there appeared to be some inconsistency in how the situation was handled, considering Max Verstappen received only a five-second penalty instead of the standard ten seconds typically awarded for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

Asked by Sportskeeda if Max Verstappen had fallen out of favor with the stewards due to past incidents and if there was anything Red Bull planned to do about it, Horner said::

“Okay I mean everything has to be objectively looked at in isolation and that's a really marginal call. I think the stewards obviously we spoke to them after the race they think it was a slam dunk. So the problem is if we're to protest it and they're gonna most likely hold the line. We'll ask them to have a look at the on -board footage that wasn’t available at the time. But yeah, I think that's what it is.”

Asked if the team was considering a ‘Right of Review’ appeal for the penalty, Horner said,

“I think again, we'll have a discussion. We'll put this in front of them first, but I think again, we'll have a discussion. We'll put this in front of them first, but I think it's probably unlikely.”

Asked if the stewards were confused since they gave a 5-second penalty instead of a 10-second one, the Red Bull boss said:

“Yeah I think they were it was obviously I mean when you look at that, I you know I can't see how they got to that conclusion. But they've both gone in at the same speed, Oscar's run deep into the corner, Max can't just disappear at this point in time, so perhaps these rules need to be looked at. I don't know what's happened to let them race on the first lap, just seem to have been abandoned.”

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Christian Horner believes the penalty given to Max Verstappen in the Saudi Arabian GP was harsh

Christian Horner believes the five-second penalty handed to Max Verstappen during the race was a harsh call. He felt that Red Bull chose not to instruct the Dutchman to concede the position because they did not believe his actions warranted a penalty. According to Horner, had Max Verstappen given the place back to Oscar Piastri, it would have put him in dirty air and made him vulnerable to an attack from George Russell behind.

The Red Bull Racing CEO maintained that his driver had made it to the corner first and, in support of his claim, presented a photo to the media, including Sportskeeda, showing Max Verstappen’s car ahead of Piastri’s at the apex of Turn 1.

Horner explained that if not for the five-second penalty, Max Verstappen would likely have secured the win. He pointed out that the Red Bull driver had a comparable pace to the leaders on the hard tire in the second stint, which ultimately allowed him to finish just 2.6 seconds behind the race winner. He felt the penalty was a harsh decision, particularly considering that the rules of engagement in wheel-to-wheel racing have been debated and clarified on multiple occasions in the past.

Sitting down with the media, along with an image of the drivers at the corner apex, Horner explained:

“I thought it was very harsh. We didn't concede the position because we didn't believe that he'd done anything wrong. You can quite clearly see at the apex of the corner what we believe. We believe that Max is clearly ahead. The rules of engagement they've discussed previously and it was a very hard decision. If we'd have given it up, the problem is, you then obviously run in the dirty air as well. You could have dropped back behind for the problems you then risked with George. So the best thing to do was to that point, you've got the penalty, get your head down, keep going."

Pointing out the pace of Max Verstappen during the race, Horner said:

“I think what was a great change today was that you can see our pace versus certainly the McLaren's all other cars in that first stint on the medium. We were in good shape we had to serve the five -second penalty and thereafter on the same basic stint as Oscar. You know he finished what 2.6 seconds behind. So without that five-second penalty today it would have been a win. But yeah you know there's always going to be a difference of opinion over a very marginal decision like that.”

While Horner is right to defend Max Verstappen, the reality remains that had he conceded the place to Piastri, there was still an opportunity to regain the position later in the lap. By serving the five-second penalty during his only pit stop, Verstappen lost the chance to use any strategic undercut or pit window advantage against the McLaren. He eventually finished 2.6 seconds behind the Australian and had to settle for second place.

The penalty has left both Red Bull and the reigning world champion dissatisfied, judging by their reactions in the media. Piastri now leads the championship with 99 points, followed by Lando Norris on 89, while Max Verstappen sits third with 87. Had he won in Saudi Arabia, he would have left the weekend at the top of the drivers’ standings.

Edited by Tushhita Barua