F1 fans overwhelmingly believe that Max Verstappen should have been disqualified from the Spanish Grand Prix for ramming George Russell, according to the results of a RacingNews365 poll.
Verstappen's actions at Turn 5 on Lap 64, when he seemingly ran into Russell's Mercedes on purpose, earned him a 10-second time penalty which dropped him from fifth to 10th in the results, but also three penalty points, taking him to 11 for the 12-month period.
That is one point away from a race ban, meaning he must navigate the Canadian and Austrian GPs trouble-free to avoid a ban. He would be the first-ever reigning world champion banned from a grand prix. His next set of points do not come off until the Monday after the Austrian GP, June 30th.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, RacingNews365 opened a poll, asking fans if they felt Verstappen's actions warranted a DSQ, with over 18,500 responses.
In the results, a crushing 13,743 people, or 74.17%, agreed that a black flag was warranted, compared to 4,786, or 25.83% who did not.
Responding in the comments, one voter wondered by Verstappen only received a 10-second penalty, and refered back to George Russell's drive-through in Monaco for a seemingly minor offence.
"FIA is messed up," wrote Michel de Breyne.
"A week ago, Russell received a 30-second penalty for intentionally cutting the chicane to pass a slow competitor(Albon). A week later, Verstappen receives a 10-second penalty for intentionally ramming into a competitor (Russell). Clearly, Russell should have simply intentionally hit Albon instead of cutting the chicane."
Another voter, Austen Brabant however, felt Verstappen's move was "understandable."
"Max was firstly driven into by Charles Leclerc down the straight. He was then pushed off the track by George Russell," they wrote.
"His team then mistakenly told him to give the place back. His reaction may not have been right, but it is certainly understandable. Everyone is attacking Max here, with nobody saying any about Charles or George for their irresponsible driving. Be fair, chaps."
Check out the results below.
Should Max Verstappen have been disqualified for ramming George Russell in the Spanish GP?
| Option | Result | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Yes, you can't do that | 13,743 | 74.17% |
| No, he let him past and then tried to overtake again | 4,786 | 25.83% |
| TOTAL | 18,529 | 100% |
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they discuss last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix! Max Verstappen's clash with George Russell is a major talking point this week, as is whether Lewis Hamilton has started to contemplate if he is still quick enough.
Rather watch the podcast? Then click here!
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