Martin Brundle calls for severe Max Verstappen penalty after Mexico chaos

Former F1 driver Martin Brundle believes Max Verstappen should have been handed a drive-through penalty for skipping Turn 1 at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Verstappen was one of several drivers who failed to properly navigate the opening corner as he went side-by-side with rival cars.

The stewards did not punish any of the drivers who ran off the track on the opening lap, including Verstappen, who settled into fourth place after the first corners.

However, Brundle suggested Verstappen was well aware of what he was doing and asserted the stewards should have taken a stern view of the manoeuvre.

“Max should have had a penalty, because if you put your car on the far left in four abreast, it will go on the kerb,” Brundle told Sky F1.

“But Max had no intention. You can see Max accelerate.

“Really skilful driving through the grass, I must say. But Max made no effort whatsoever to take Turns one, two or three, and that should have been a penalty. 

“Max took the risk on the outside, knowing full well he could just bury the throttle and carry on. 

“[It was] he sort of thing if the fireproof boot had been on the other foot, Max would have been screaming about on the radio, saying he had no intention of making that corner. He didn’t.”

Brundle also suggested Leclerc, who also did not properly navigate the opening sequence, should have been punished.

“At least Charles made an attempt at Turn 1,” he said. 

“He didn't like the way it was shaping up so just ignored Turn 2. That for me was also a 10-second penalty.”

A drive-through penalty is among the harshest penalties F1 stewards have at their disposal, which requires drivers to join the pit lane at the designated speed before returning to the track once they reach the end.

Brundle believes it would have been an appropriate punishment for the four-time champion.

“I might even have given somebody doing what Max did, a drive-through, as a proper deterrent to stop the silliness, because then it all gets chaotic,” he said.