Maximum alert to the International Automobile Federation: did it seek to sabotage Max Verstappen's weekend in Brazil?
During the Brazilian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen achieved a feat by winning the race despite a distant seventeenth position on the starting grid.
However, the previous Saturday, a controversy broke out following his elimination in Q1, an unusual situation for the three-time Formula 1 world champion.
A controversial red flag
The controversy began during qualifying. Verstappen, about to complete a fast lap, was stopped short by a red flag. The latter, deployed due to the incident involving Lance Stroll, was deemed late by Red Bull. The team believes that if the flag had been raised earlier, the session could have restarted, allowing Verstappen to attempt another lap.
The FIA, Formula 1's sporting authority, defended its decision, saying it had waited to see if Stroll could restart before permanently interrupting Q1. However, this justification did not convince everyone, and Eddie Jordan, during the podcast Formula For Successopenly accused race director Niels Wittich of intentionally putting Verstappen at a disadvantage.
Jordan accuses, Coulthard tempers
At the microphone of the podcast, Eddie Jordan did not mince his words:
“Was Max treated fairly? No! The red flag came way too late. It was a mistake, and Wittich screwed up.”
David Coulthard, co-host of the podcast, tried to calm things down by defending the FIA:
“I think sometimes the racing gods influence events.”
But Jordan insisted: “Don't be naive, David. Everyone knows that the authorities want to favor Lando
[Norris]. But Max is just too strong.”
Since then, it is curious to note that Niels Wittich has been dismissed with immediate effect from his position as race director by the FIA. A decision which was immediately welcomed by the Red Bull team.
