As if Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari weren’t angry enough following the incident with Max Verstappen in the Mexican Grand Prix, the stewards have handed the German driver a ten-second penalty. This means that the race results are all shuffled up and turns out great for Red Bull.
The issue in question occurred at turn four on the penultimate lap of the Mexican Grand Prix while Vettel was defending from Daniel Ricciardo. Ricciardo dove up the inside of the turn to attempt an overtake, but he locked up badly. The pair made contact as they traveled through the corner. Vettel maintained his position and Ricciardo ended up finishing behind the Ferrari.
The question for the stewards to answer was whether or not Vettel moved under braking. This has become a big topic recently triggered by the controversial defending maneuvers of Max Verstappen. Prior to the United States Grand Prix last weekend, the stewards warned the teams that they will no longer allow drivers to move under braking, as it can cause accidents. Vettel, a driver previously impacted by Verstappen’s aggressive driving style, found himself as the accused this time.
The stewards investigated the telemetry and various pieces of video evidence to come to a clear and accurate conclusion. The stewards determined that Vettel had moved under braking and decided to award him a 10 second time penalty to be added to his race time. They also added two penalty points to his license. As a result, Vettel drops behind both of the Red Bull drivers in fifth position.
This is adding salt to the wound, considering Vettel had been promoted immediately after the race from P4 to the bottom step of the podium because Verstappen had cut the first corner near the end of the race and gained an advantage. This had put Vettel in P3, with Ricciardo and Verstappen behind.
The newest changes to the race results moves Ricciardo up to the podium, with Verstappen in P4 and Vettel in P5. The changes have allowed Ricciardo to secure his third place finish in the World Drivers’ Championship.
Weekend Summary: 2016 Mexican Grand Prix
Vettel Is Oblivious To Others In The First Corner
Stewards Prohibit Moving Under Braking
