F1 champion criticises FIA over Verstappen penalty decision

2009 Formula 1 champion Jenson Button has criticised the FIA for penalising Max Verstappen with a one-place grid penalty in the Qatar Grand Prix. 

The Red Bull driver started the race from second despite having claimed pole position, as a result of the unusual grid drop. 

He still won his ninth race of the year with ease, following a better launch than polesitter George Russell at the Lusail International Circuit. 

However, despite Verstappen winning, the FIA has still faced scrutiny for his grid drop, including from Button. 

Verstappen was penalised for driving unnecessarily slowly on his final Q3 preparation lap, which resulted in a near-miss with George Russell. 

Bizarrely, Russell was also on a prep lap, yet decided to charge up behind the 27-year-old mid-corner. 

Verstappen had been going slowly due to drivers ahead of him also going at a slow pace, leaving Button baffled by the penalty.

"The problem for me is that he’s got Fernando Alonso in front of him doing exactly the same speed," Button said on Sky Sports F1.

“It’s not like Max has just gone: ‘You know what? I’m going to put the anchors on and hit the brakes right in the middle of a high-speed corner.’

“He’s got the same distance to the car in front the whole way through Turn 12, 13.

“It’s shocking to me that he got a penalty, it really is. It felt like it should have been the same as everyone else. We had it in sprint qualifying as well."

Verstappen's penalty was controversial for multiple reasons, due to the incident itself but also the weight of the punishment. 

The four-time world champion was the only driver to receive a grid drop for driving too slowly, whilst others in Qatar only received a reprimand.

It has raised further questions over whether the stewards are consistent, in particular with exceeding the maximum delta time. 

In Button's eyes, the FIA should have just penalised all drivers who went too slowly, as it would have sent a message to others.

“I’m really surprised that he got a penalty for that," added Button. "I just feel that they shouldn’t be giving different penalties for the same thing.

“Why would you give someone a reprimand for driving too slow? The rule’s there: you do not drive slower than the delta, so why are you not getting a penalty immediately?

“Then they wouldn’t be driving slower than the delta and it would have cleared up a lot of sooner.”