Verstappen and Three Other F1 Drivers Cleared After VSC Overtaking Probe at Azerbaijan GP

Investigation concludes on Max Verstappen and three other racers for surpassing opponents during VSC conditions.

Max Verstappen, along with three fellow Formula 1 racers, has avoided penalties after a probe into their overtaking maneuvers during Virtual Safety Car conditions at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix concluded.

Verstappen, joined by the Alpine duo of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, and Nico Hulkenberg from Haas, were called before the stewards for surpassing other cars under yellow flag conditions following the conclusion of Sunday's race in Baku.

The Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was activated following a collision between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz on the second-to-last lap, which occurred due to a rapid entanglement as they approached Turn 3. The rules, which prevent any overtaking, were enforced until the race concluded with the waving of the chequered flag.

Although they were observed passing cars during the in-lap, all four drivers were exonerated but cautioned that any future violations could result in "substantial penalties."

Verstappen expressed his belief that a full Safety Car should have been deployed rather than a Virtual Safety Car after he ended the race behind McLaren's Lando Norris, consequently losing three points to his championship adversary. He maintained that his actions were without fault.

"The Dutch racer assured the press, which included representatives from Crash.net, that he executed everything flawlessly, making it across the finish line without issue at the moment the chequered flag was waved."

"During the cool-down lap after the race has finished, there have been numerous instances in the past where similar situations occurred. Whether under a Virtual Safety Car or a Safety Car, as drivers are heading back, there's often slow overtaking or gestures of congratulations among them. Hence, I find it quite unexpected."

The complete decision from the stewards

In Baku, the Formula 1 stewards delivered a unanimous decision for every driver involved, stating:

The driver passed several vehicles following the waving of the chequered flag, despite the fact that a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) signal was still active due to an accident at Turn 2. It was pointed out to the driver that although overtaking after the race has officially ended is typically allowed, it becomes forbidden when yellow flags, safety car, or virtual safety car conditions are in effect. Although the drivers were informed about the location of the incident, they couldn't ascertain whether emergency responders or track officials were being deployed on the circuit, necessitating a cautious approach.

The Stewards acknowledge that such an incident occurred previously in the season and went undetected then. Consequently, we are issuing a caution to the driver involved, as well as to all other competitors. Any additional violations could result in severe consequences.

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