Max Verstappen was hit with a time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage versus Oscar Piastri at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

It was a punishment which 1996 World Champion Damon Hill supports, though he knows others will have a differing opinion.

Max Verstappen Saudi GP penalty: Fair or harsh?

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Polesitter Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri were in a dash for the Turn 1 apex at the start of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with Verstappen taking to the run-off and returning to the track ahead.

The FIA stewards would investigate and opted to issue Verstappen with a five-second time penalty, one which he served at his sole pit stop.

Verstappen would cross the line just under three seconds behind Piastri, who took over as the new leader of the Drivers’ Championship.

And Hill would show his support for a verdict he had seen on social media regarding Verstappen’s penalty, albeit an opinion which he acknowledged would not be universally popular.

On X [formerly known as Twitter], Hill wrote: “Ed Straw on Verstappen first corner move @wearetherace, “I don’t see how racing works if that move is allowed to happen.”

“I agree. No doubt others disagree.”

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Verstappen declined to comment post-race on the penalty, and made reference to the role of social media when explaining his stance.

“I think it’s better not to talk about it. Anything I say or try to say about it might get me in trouble,” he said in the post-race press conference.

And when it was put to him that his answers to media questions have generally been shorter lately, Verstappen was asked if the enjoyment had been sucked out of Formula 1 for him.

He replied: “No. It has to do with social media in general, and how the world is.

“I prefer not to talk a lot because sometimes your words can be twisted or people interpret it in a different way. It’s honestly better not to say too much. So that’s what I’m trying to do.

“Like I said before, it’s just the world we live in. You can’t share your opinion because it’s not appreciated apparently, or people can’t handle the full truth.

“Honestly, it’s better if I don’t say too much.”

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was more vocal on the FIA verdict.

“I thought it was very harsh,” said Horner, who when speaking to the media, including PlanetF1.com, after the race, was armed with a Verstappen onboard screenshot, showing that his left-front wheel was slightly in front of Piastri’s right-front as the duo swept into Turn 1.

“We didn’t concede the position because we didn’t believe that he’d anything wrong.

“You can quite clearly see at the apex of the corner, we believed that Max is clearly ahead.

“The rules of engagement they discussed previously, and it was a very harsh decision.”

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