Red Bull have decided against requesting a right of review into Max Verstappen’s penalty at the start of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the team have confirmed to PlanetF1.com.

Verstappen was hit with a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in battle with McLaren driver Oscar Piastri at the start of last weekend’s race in Jeddah.

Red Bull decide against Max Verstappen Saudi Arabian GP penalty appeal

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

After setting a fine pole position, the Red Bull driver immediately came under pressure from Piastri off the start line with the McLaren holding the inside line into the first corner.

Verstappen cut across the painted run-off area to retain his lead, with the reigning World Champion hit with a five-second penalty.

The Dutchman, who eventually finished second behind Piastri, was heard describing the decision as “f***ing lovely” when informed of his penalty over team radio by race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.

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Meanwhile, Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, arrived at his post-race media briefing with photographs that he claimed proved Verstappen was not deserving a penalty.

F1 teams are entitled to appeal the decisions of the FIA stewards’ via a right-of-review system.

However, Red Bull have now confirmed to PlanetF1.com that the team will not be challenging the decision to impose a five-second penalty on Verstappen.

Despite describing Verstappen’s penalty as “very harsh” after the race in Saudi Arabia, Horner hinted that Red Bull were “highly unlikely” to pursue the matter any further.

He told media including PlanetF1.com: “Everything has to be objectively looked at in isolation and that’s a really marginal call.

“We spoke to them [the stewards] after the race [and] they think it was a slam dunk.

“So the problem is, if we’re to protest it, then they’re going to most likely hold the line.”

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As revealed by PlanetF1.com, it emerged after the race that Verstappen was fortunate to avoid a bigger penalty for his incident with Piastri with a 10-second penalty the standard outcome for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

However, as the moment occurred at the first corner on the opening lap, the stewards gave more leeway and gave a five-second penalty instead.

The official verdict by the stewards read: “The Stewards reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, timing, telemetry and in-car video evidence and determined that car 81 had its front axle at least alongside the mirror of Car 1 prior to and at the apex of corner 1 when trying to overtake Car 1 on the inside.

“In fact, Car 81 was alongside Car 1 at the apex.

“Based on the Driver’s Standards Guidelines, it was therefore Car 81’s corner and he was entitled to be given room.

“Car 1 then left the track and gained a lasting advantage that was not given back. He stayed in front of Car 81 and sought to build on the advantage.

“Ordinarily, the baseline penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage is 10 seconds.

“However, given that this was lap one and turn one incident, we considered that to be a mitigating circumstance and imposed a 5 second time penalty instead.”

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