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Max Verstappen controversially dove past Leclerc at Turn 1, refusing to return the position despite Leclerc's request. He received a five-second penalty after a stewards' investigation. The Dutchman showed his quality once again this season, and in the end, he managed to make up for the deficit and achieve another victory, the 18th of this season!
In an interview with the media, Charles Leclerc revealed his position regarding the situation with Max Verstappen. “Obviously it was over the limit and I think the five-second penalty is deserved,” -Charles Leclerc said, as quoted by crash.net!
“It was tight. I still tried to push off the track, but it was so low grip to try to keep that position, but it is the way it is. He’s been penalised, he paid the penalty, and I think that was the right penalty to give.
I just think in those kind of situations it would be better for the FIA to ask to give the place back because I think there’s quite a bit of an advantage to take care of tyres when you have free air, but it’s the way it is”.
Max Verstappen's view
Max Verstappen also had an explanation for everything that happened; “We both braked quite late but I was on the inside, on the dirt. As soon as you are offline here it’s just super low grip." The Dutchman confirmed that he had no 'dirty' intentions during the race.
However, he admits that the FIA made the right call. “I braked and there was no grip. I didn’t mean to push Charles off the track but I couldn’t slow down. I kept sliding on four wheels, wide. So that’s why we had to go wide.
At the time you are full of adrenaline and I was not happy with the decision but looking back at it, it was probably the right call”.