Source: REUTERS/JAKUB PORZYCKI
[Saba Sports News] UK media confirmed that Red Bull finally gave in to the FIA’s ruling and officially abandoned its appeal regarding Max Verstappen’s 5-second penalty at the Saudi Grand Prix. The controversial decision, which lasted 72 hours, ended with the reigning champion swallowing the bitter fruit, signaling a plunge in relations between Red Bull and the event organizers. The controversy stemmed from a wheel-to-wheel battle at Turn 1 during the first lap of the race. When Verstappen, starting from pole position, battled with Oscar Piastri, Red Bull’s four wheels went off the track beyond the white line, and he failed to return to his position. Despite Christian Horner presenting onboard footage at the post-race press conference, claiming Verstappen had taken the lead by the apex of the corner, the referee’s firm stance made it clear that overturning the decision was impossible. Adding insult to injury, Red Bull only learned after the race that under normal circumstances, a similar offense would result in a 10-second penalty. This incident exposed the chaos within F1’s penalty system. On one hand, the FIA reduced the penalty citing “special circumstances on the first lap,” while on the other hand, they handed out a full 10-second penalty to Red Bull’s teammate Liam Lawson for the same violation.