Max Verstappen caught a lot of attention at the Singapore Grand Prix even though he did not win the race or a podium. The star was caught impeding multiple drivers throughout the qualifications. The driver was aware of the issues with the car during the weekend, however, Verstappen seemed over it.
After struggling with the car he confessed to having accepted that he was going to lose the race. But before that, he was caught impeding multiple drivers during qualifications and holding up Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in pit lane for no reason.
However, when the Dutchman was taken to FIA to hear his verdict, he was let go. This did not sit right with many as team leaders came together to ask for the explanation behind the verdict. They have asked for the case to be reopened especially after Verstappen walked away from getting no punishment for impeding Yuki Tsunoda.
Many were absolutely distraught over the entire situation. Meanwhile, Verstappen walked out of the FIA panel laughing and smiling. During the hearing, neither his team principal nor the AlphaTauri team principal were present.
🚨 | F1 teams have requested the incidents from Singapore to be “reopened, and the verdicts explained.”
Teams are unhappy with the FIA’s decisions.
The biggest issue is with the decision not to penalise Verstappen for impeding Tsunoda.
[@amsonline] pic.twitter.com/OMSayw3CDH
— formularacers (@formularacers_) September 21, 2023
After the hearing, many demanded better rules. Comments like “FIA’s golden boy” and “they won’t punish him” went around in loops. Fans were completely unhappy with the way the situation was handled and how poor the judgment was.
For Verstappen, on the other hand, he took his P11 position for the race with no gird penalties. Many also commented that Charles Leclerc and Yuki Tsunoda were penalized for the same situation but Verstappen gets no punishment.
Drivers and Team Principals voice opinions on the “unfair” Max Verstappen verdict
After the situation was out of hand, many took their time to voice the complaints over the verdict. Many drivers and team principals were unhappy with the way the situation was handled. Pierre Gasly confessed that although it did not affect his race, it was unfair. Lando Norris and Alex Albon believed that the Dutchman blocking on the track should have received a penalty. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell asked for more consistency when it comes to FIA and the rules.
Charles Leclerc too was left speechless since he has received a penalty before in the season for the same. However, FIA recently came out with an apology for the Singapore Grand Prix. The Federation apologized for not punishing Verstappen for impeding. They confessed that one of the “impeding” situations should have been given a three-place grid penalty to Verstappen. However, the situation was not observed well.
📰: Aston Martin demands “consistency” from FIA. After Max Verstappen’s mild reprimand and a €5000 fine for impeding incidents in Singapore, rivals raise concerns. Verstappen avoided the grid penalties often seen this season. Aston Martin calls for uniformity in FIA impeding… pic.twitter.com/TVzvsQ8t3U
— F1 Naija 🇳🇬 (@f1_naija) September 19, 2023
Nonetheless, Red Bull seems to have pushed Singapore way past them and buried it deep. The team now has everything to prove. The team lost the race win and a podium last race. This has now caused them to do everything in their power to win at Suzuka.