McLaren CEO Brown agrees with stewards: 'Verstappen penalty appropriate'

21:38, 20 Apr

byKada Sarkozi

While Helmut Marko didn't agree with the stewards' decision to hand Max Verstappen a five-second penalty, McLaren CEO Zak Brown sees their choice was justified.

The battle between Oscar Piastri and Verstappen took place into Turn 1, as the Australian dived down the inside of the RB21. Verstappen chose to cut the corner, that left him with a five-second time penalty.

“I definitely thought a penalty was deserved. Oscar was clearly up the inside, got a better start, and you know, you need to use the race track,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown reacted to the incident to Sky Sports after the Grand Prix.

Brown: 'Verstappen could have given the position back'

The American sees that Red Bull Racing were presented with a choice: give the position back, or get penalised.

"Whether it’s a five-second penalty or give the position back, I think it could go either way. I thought it was definitely appropriate. It was Oscar’s corner, and at some point you’ve got to concede," Brown concluded.

The Australian driver managed to jump Verstappen after the pit stops, and managed to claim all 25 points in Jeddah. This was Piastri's third victory of the current season.

Read our Grand Prix report here!

This article was written in collaboration with Marnik Kok