Max Verstappen and McLaren are in the spotlight after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Oscar Piastri took the win. Verstappen had a tough race in Baku, battling with grip issues and ending up fifth. His car’s lack of performance meant he was eventually overtaken by Lando Norris, who finished fourth and grabbed the fastest lap point, giving him a slight edge in the championship standings.
Adding to Verstappen’s troubles, he’s now under investigation for a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) infraction. The VSC was deployed on Lap 50 after a crash involving Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz. Verstappen is accused of overtaking cars under the VSC conditions after the chequered flag. If found guilty, a five-second penalty won’t affect his position, but a ten-second penalty could drop him to sixth, behind Fernando Alonso.
McLaren is also facing scrutiny for a pit lane infringement, but this one’s directed at the team rather than the drivers. The issue involves team personnel and equipment being in the pit lane during the race.
Esteban Ocon and Nico Hulkenberg are also under investigation for similar VSC infractions. Hulkenberg, who finished 11th, fell behind his rookie teammate Oliver Bearman after his car was damaged in the crash involving Perez and Sainz.
