Verstappen fined 50,000 euros for touching Hamilton winger

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Verstappen was called to see the hosts on Saturday morning in Brazil after a fan video surfaced showing him checking and touching the rear wing of title contender Hamilton’s car after qualifying.

The session was held at 9:30 am in Interlagos. Verstappen was joined by Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley for a meeting with the race hosts, which lasted less than half an hour.

In a subsequent FIA publication, it was confirmed that Verstappen had received a €50,000 fine for breaching Article 2.5.1 of the International Sports Act.

Article 2.5.1 of the ISC states: “Within the Parc Fermé, only designated officials are entitled to enter. No operation, inspection, adjustment or repair is permitted unless authorized by the officials themselves or applicable regulations.”

The hosts spoke with Verstappen and analyzed fan video footage, as well as onboard camera footage from the cars of Verstappen, Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas and Fernando Alonso.

More importantly, the hosts noted that there was “little force when Verstappen touched the wing” of Hamilton’s car, and linked it to the ongoing investigation into Mercedes’ DRS failing its post-session checks.

The stewards acknowledged that checking and touching other cars had become a “habit of drivers” which was “mostly harmless”, but nonetheless noted that it was a breach of Parkfirm’s rules and “has a significant potential to cause harm”.

As a result, the stewards felt it was important to take action and impose a €50,000 fine on Verstappen, as well as adding that “all teams and drivers should note that future violations may result in various penalties from the stewards of these events”.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Mark Sutton/Motorsport Pictures

This means Verstappen will retain second place on the grid for the sprint, and will be in line to inherit pole position should Hamilton be disqualified from the qualifying results.

Verstappen qualified second behind Mercedes’ Hamilton at Interlagos, finishing four tenths of a second dip as the title contenders closed out the front row for a sprint race on Saturday.

But sprint tycoon Hamilton was in doubt after the FIA ​​found that the DRS on his Mercedes was not in compliance with technical regulations.

The hearing was adjourned until Saturday morning, held at 10:30 a.m. local time in Brazil, and no decision has yet been announced.

Verstappen will meet at Interlagos on Saturday by 24 laps, 19 points behind Hamilton in the drivers’ championship, with three points offered for the Saturday race winner.

The result of the running race will then determine the grid for Sunday, but Hamilton will lose the grid by five places regardless of the hosts’ judgment on his winger due to the engine penalty.

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