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Max Verstappen finished third in last weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix after a late push to catch Charles Leclerc. However, his charge was interrupted by a Virtual Safety Car. During
the race, Leclerc claimed Verstappen had failed to slow down properly under yellow flags and immediately called for a penalty over team radio.
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Verstappen started the race from fifth on the grid but went straight on in the first corner, getting caught up in the chaos of the opening lap. Starting on medium tyres while his rivals around him were on softs, the Dutchman appeared to struggle in the early stages. Red Bull opted for a one-stop strategy, which allowed Verstappen to pit later than the rest and close in on Leclerc during the final laps.
As the race entered its closing stages, the battle between Verstappen and Leclerc looked set to ignite. Just as Verstappen was preparing to attack, Carlos Sainz spun in the Foro Sol stadium section, prompting double yellow flags and, moments later, a Virtual Safety Car.
Before entering the stadium complex, Leclerc was warned by his race engineer about the yellow flags. The Monegasque driver lifted off, but in his mirrors, he believed Verstappen had not done the same. Laughing over the radio, Leclerc called out: “Max! Hahaha! That’s a penalty, for sure!”
Despite Leclerc’s protest, the stewards decided not to investigate Verstappen’s actions. After the race, Verstappen took the situation in stride and laughed off the controversy, joking that he had “also benefited from a well-timed Safety Car before.”
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