Inside the Decision: F1 Steward Johnny Herbert Reveals How ‘Clever’ Max Verstappen Evaded Harsher Austrian GP Penalties

Austrian Grand Prix F1 official sheds light on Max Verstappen's "smart" move to avoid additional penalties

F1 official Johnny Herbert outlines the reasoning behind the penalty given to Max Verstappen in Austria.

Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert, who served as a steward at the Austrian Grand Prix, has provided an explanation for the decision to give Max Verstappen a 10-second time penalty.

Max Verstappen received a 10-second penalty following a collision with Lando Norris as they were heading towards Turn 3 on the 64th lap of the race.

The collision caused both drivers to suffer punctures, which unexpectedly allowed George Russell to win.

Replay footage revealed Verstappen slightly steering to the left while braking as Norris tried to move up beside him.

In an interview with Coin Poker, Herbert, who was working for the FIA this weekend, clarified the reasons behind Verstappen receiving a 10-second penalty.

"That's the toughest penalty we can enforce according to the FIA guidelines we follow as stewards," he explained. "McLaren argued it should have been more severe, but every team makes such claims."

"If a driver had flipped over or rolled down the track, it's uncertain if that would have altered the situation. The issue was classified as forcing a driver off the track or causing an accident."

"That was the most severe penalty we were able to impose."

Norris was dissatisfied with how Verstappen defended before their eventual collision.

Herbert characterized Verstappen's strategies as "smart" and then explained why the stewards decided not to impose additional penalties.

"The benefit of having someone like Max is that even if he doesn't concur with a decision, he'll discover an alternative method to utilize his skills," he mentioned. "As officials, we examined his braking technique and it was ambiguous."

“It was smart and fair, adding an extra challenge for Lando in deciding whether to go left or right at a specific turn.

"He'll adapt and discover a different approach, yet continue to apply the same pressure on his opponents."

Herbert also stood by Norris, praising him for making the “correct decision” to resist being pressured by Verstappen – a strategy used by other F1 legends like Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher.

"He blamed Max, noting that Max is a tough competitor. He elaborated, saying that Max is extremely difficult to overcome. Max has a way of intimidating everyone, much like Lewis, Michael Schumacher, and Ayrton Senna have always done."

"When facing Max on the track in his current form, Lando needs to assert himself by staying firm and signaling: 'I'm right here beside you. You're attempting to push me off the track, but I'm not backing down.'"

"Lando made the correct decision by staying put. He wasn't obligated to change his position. While some argued that he could have moved, that's not the strategy to defeat Max or to secure a victory in the Grand Prix."

This aspect of Max has consistently been one of his strengths.

"It’s been a long time since we’ve witnessed this, given his usual dominance. It’s intriguing to observe his response when facing stress. He disagreed with the penalty imposed on him, which also added two points to his driving record."

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