Helmut Marko blasts F1 stewards for “inconsistency” after Max Verstappen penalty

Helmut Marko has criticised F1’s stewards for a lack of consistency following Max Verstappen’s penalty at the start of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Verstappen was hit with a five-second penalty after the stewards deemed that he had left the track and gained an advantage when battling Oscar Piastri into Turn 1 on the opening lap of the race.

Piastri had made a better start than Verstappen and was ahead at the apex of the corner.

Verstappen braked late and cut the corner to maintain the position.

As he didn’t relinquish the place, the stewards handed him a five-second penalty, a decision which ultimately compromised his race and his chances of winning the race.

Marko was left unimpressed by the decision, pointing to similar incidents in the support races, such as Formula 2, that went unpunished.

Speaking to Sky Germany, Marko said: “I think the race was lost at the start. And really, where was Max supposed to go? We watched the Formula 2 races, and the same thing happened to two or three drivers.

“They were only given warnings. So in our view, the five-second penalty was a bit harsh… the inconsistency in stewarding is difficult to understand.

“Piastri was ahead at the start, but at the very last braking zone, Max was slightly ahead again. But it is what it is.”

Verstappen pace “gives us confidence”

Despite the penalty, Verstappen finished second, within three seconds of eventual race winner Piastri.

It was a strong performance from Verstappen, a week on from a nightmare Bahrain Grand Prix.

In Bahrain, Verstappen finished a lowly sixth, overtaking Alpine’s Pierre Gasly on the final lap of the race.

Their lack of pace led to a ‘crisis meeting’ taking place after the race between Red Bull’s senior figures.

Consequently, the lead-up to this weekend in Saudi Arabia was centred around Verstappen’s future amid Red Bull’s poor form.

Marko believes Verstappen’s pace gives Red Bull confidence moving forward.

“You could see it - he pulled a three-second gap early on. Piastri was already complaining about tire degradation. When you’re following another car, it’s always tougher,” Marko added. “And on the second stint with the hard tires, when Max really pushed to the limit, we were closing in again.

“If someone had told us on Friday that we’d finish second, we’d have celebrated. But the car changes were so effective that we’re obviously a bit deflated not to bring home the win. Still, we showed we’ve got the speed and tire wear under control - that gives us confidence moving forward.”