Max Verstappen penalty argument compared to 'lifelong sentence'

Former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner has remarkably compared the stewards' decision not to issue Max Verstappen a 10-second time penalty to a judge delivering a "lifelong sentence".

Verstappen was furious in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after receiving a five-second time penalty for leaving the circuit and gaining an advantage whilst battling Oscar Piastri on the first lap. 

Piastri was judged as ahead at the apex, before Verstappen darted across the chicane before rejoining in the lead. 

The penalty cost him victory, although it was not the usual punishment for breaching Article 33.3 of F1's sporting regulations.

Leaving the circuit and gaining an advantage usually warrants a 10-second time penalty; however, the stewards halved Verstappen's punishment due to believing that the incident happening on the first lap was a mitigating circumstance. 

Steiner did not agree with the four-time world champion being punished, although would rather see the FIA issue a full penalty rather than being "polite" and giving half.

"[The stewards] are always trying to be polite, don't upset anybody," Steiner told the Red Flags podcast.

"I mean, a judge, if he's sitting there, obviously, if he gives someone a lifelong sentence without parole, he knows that the guy is not going to be happy with him, but that's his job. 

"I'm sorry, he's just doing his job. Sometimes, if you feel like [a driver] did something wrong, give him [Verstappen] 10 seconds and justify it and explain it, end of story. 

"If you're this, 'yeah, because it was the first [lap]', so now we have, again, a different tool for the first lap. It's again, wishy washy, again."