Verstappen penalised for F1 championship intervention contact

Max Verstappen has been handed a 10-second time penalty by the stewards at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Dutchman put his Red Bull up the inside of Oscar Piastri in the first corner at the Yas Marina Circuit, initiating contact between the two drivers.

The four-time F1 drivers’ champion fell just outside the points as they both spun, but the McLaren driver dropped to the back of the pack.

The virtual safety car was deployed to cover off Sergio Perez’s retirement, with Piastri then pitting to get rid of his flat-spotted Pirelli tyres.

Piastri was then penalised for hitting the back of Franco Colapinto, the incident that produced his tyre damage. Like Verstappen, he was handed a 10-second time penalty.