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Max Verstappen

The last time Verstappen was handed F1 community service

RacingNews365 takes a look back at the last time Max Verstappen completed FIA community service following swear-gate.

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For the second time, Max Verstappen must serve community service after the FIA's punishment for his swearing in the Singapore press conference. 

The world champion was handed the sanction after using the word "fucked" to describe his Red Bull in Azerbaijan, hours after FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem expressed his wish to see a reduction in both drivers swearing and the amount of it broadcast by FOM. 

Verstappen was adjudged to have broken the international sporting code over his swearing, with the stewards handing him a round of "work of public interest."

He is yet to serve it, but Lewis Hamilton urged him to boycott the "joke" punishment, and so RacingNews365 has decided to take a look back at what happened when he last served community service.

Verstappen's community service

The seeds of Verstappen's first community service were sown at the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix, where, when leading, he collided with Force India's Esteban Ocon. 

Ocon was attempting to un-lap himself by going around the outside of the Red Bull at Turn 1, which becomes the inside of Turn 2, as Verstappen turned in to take the normal racing line.

The result was both spinning out but able to resume with Verstappen squandering the lead to Lewis Hamilton, eventually going onto finish 1.469s behind the Mercedes, as Kimi Raikkonen took the final podium of his career in third.

Post-race, Verstappen approached Ocon in parc ferme, shoving the Frenchman aggressively multiple times. 

In electing to punish Verstappen, the FIA elected to take an "educational and informative approach" for the two day punishment.

He was told to attend the 2019 Formula E Marrakesh E=Prix in January of that year, being an observer to the stewards and a day at a seminar of the FIA International Stewards Programme.

This involved taking part in an interactive case study with race officials, including the discussion and deliberation with the stewards over an incident and deciding an appropriate penalty.

Reflecting on the sanction, Verstappen recalled the "fair decisions.'

"We are doing our job on the track, trying to get the best out of the race, and it’s clear that the stewards are doing their job to find the best way to reach a fair decision," he said.

"It’s been a good lesson for me and I’ve learned a lot, both in my day in Marrakesh, which I really enjoyed and which gave me a good understanding of the stewards and now here – I think it’s also good to be a part of this event."

Also interesting:

It has been a year since Max Verstappen won his third F1 title - with six grands prix to spare. Now Verstappen is in a fight this year, and with Red Bull under pressure to deliver him a car to retain his crown. Join RacingNews365's Ian, Sam and Nick as they discuss this and more ahead of the final six races.

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