Max Verstappen has escaped a penalty following an investigation by the stewards at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The current Formula 1 champion was summoned to the stewards in Budapest on suspicion of being released under unsafe conditions during FP2.
Verstappen was seen discarding a Red Bull towel from his car onto the track while the session was ongoing, reminiscent of a previous incident involving Lando Norris at the Miami Grand Prix earlier this year.
In a similar fashion to McLaren and Norris’ situation, where tools and an LED torch were removed from the cockpit, Verstappen and his team received only a warning from the F1 stewards.
A statement released by the stewards mentioned that Verstappen had unintentionally tossed the towel out of the cockpit after it slipped from his lap to the side of the seat. Although the action was deemed to have the potential to create safety hazards, it was considered less severe than incidents involving hard objects left in the cockpit.
Verstappen clarified that he took measures to discard the towel in the safest manner possible, driving off the racing line to ensure no interference with his control of the car. The stewards acknowledged his explanation.
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