Max Verstappen has escaped a penalty following an investigation by race stewards into a peculiar incident during the Hungarian Grand Prix. The current Formula 1 champion was summoned to the stewards’ office in Budapest over allegations of being released from the pits in an unsafe manner during FP2.
Verstappen was seen tossing a Red Bull towel out of his car onto the track while the session was ongoing, resembling a previous incident involving Lando Norris at the Miami Grand Prix where tools and an LED torch were found in Norris’ cockpit.
Despite the similarities, McLaren and Norris were let off the hook that day after Norris promptly returned to the pits to remove the items. Similarly, Verstappen and his team were only issued a warning by the F1 stewards.
In a statement, it was mentioned that Verstappen unintentionally released the towel from the cockpit after it slipped from his lap to the side of the seat, with the team unaware of its presence. Verstappen took immediate action to discard it to a safe distance from the car and track to avoid any potential interference with his driving.
The stewards determined that while the towel could have posed a risk by obstructing the footwell and affecting control of the car, the situation was not as severe as if a hard and hazardous object had been left in the cockpit. Consequently, a warning was imposed on the team.
Verstappen himself explained that he removed the towel in a safe manner to prevent any danger, reassuring that he drove off the racing line to dispose of it safely. The stewards acknowledged his actions in handling the situation.
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