Max Verstappen will have to pay his €50,000 fine out of his own pocket after Helmut Marko stated that Red Bull won't be assisting him. Verstappen was summoned by the stewards at Interlagos on Friday night after an alleged breach of the FIA International Sporting Code related to parc ferme conditions. Fan video footage showed Verstappen looking at and appearing to touch title rival Lewis Hamilton's rear wing post-qualifying. Verstappen, along with a Red Bull representative, met with the stewards, who ultimately determined that he was guilty of the infraction . As a result, Verstappen was fined €50,000, and it looks as though he'll be responsible for paying that figure himself, according to Marko. "He has to pay it, yes," Marko responded, when asked by journalists if Verstappen will pay the fee out of his own pocket.
Verstappen's penalty "pretty harsh"
While Red Bull may have been more willing to cover fines in the past, this is the first year that Formula 1 has been operating with a cost cap, which could explain why the team have to take a different approach when it comes to unexpected costs. Although Verstappen avoided a penalty that could hamper his push for the World Championship, Marko doesn't think the fine was a small punishment either, even if Hamilton was excluded from qualifying over a Drag Reduction System (DRS) breach. Marko added: "Hamilton's case was clear. As for Max, that was a pretty harsh penalty, even though it doesn't mean he's going to lose his job."
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