Max Verstappen questions 'very strange' Charles Leclerc punishment

Max Verstappen has questioned why Charles Leclerc escaped with only a five-second penalty after an early clash with Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Leclerc and Hamilton went wheel to wheel in the opening lap of the race, with both drivers running wide at Turn 4. Hamilton rejoined the circuit correctly, but Leclerc cut the corner.

The Monegasque then failed to hand the position back to Hamilton, by which point Verstappen had already gone through and passed the seven-time world champion.

Leclerc was handed a five-second time penalty for the incident, below the standard 10-second sanction usually applied in such cases. The stewards cited mitigating circumstances, noting that Hamilton himself had also run wide into the corner.

Despite a smaller punishment than expected, Verstappen overtook Leclerc when the Ferrari driver served his punishment, which resulted in the lead and eventual win in Mexico.

Max Verstappen left confused by stewards' decision

Speaking to Viaplay after the race, Verstappen made clear he had little time for that explanation.

"I don't think that should be possible at all," said Verstappen. "You just have to give the position back to the person you took it from.

"Normally it's 10 seconds and then suddenly it's five seconds. So I find that very strange as well."

When it was explained to Verstappen that the mitigating circumstances, Hamilton also running wide, had been taken into account by the stewards, the Red Bull driver simply sighed. 

The four-time champion, however, had the last laugh, having gone on to win in Mexico for a sixth time in his F1 career.

"In the end it doesn't make any difference," laughed Verstappen.