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Verstappen has been summoned to speak with race officials regarding a potential impeding penalty
We mentioned in the build-up to qualifying for the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix that traffic might be an issue throughout the weekend.
It now has the potential to shake up the start of the grid in the Grand Prix itself.
Max Verstappen qualified on pole, but whether he starts there is now in doubt. Verstappen has been summoned to meet with race officials regarding a potential penalty for impeding Kevin Magnussen during qualifying on Friday:
Luke Smith, who covers F1 for The Athletic, reviewed footage of the incident and shared this on Friday afternoon:
Had a look at the video: it’s at the exit of Q1, Verstappen is going slowly on the outside as Magnussen starts a flyer and has to move across to the right a bit.
Verstappen’s reaction on the radio was: “He was on a fast lap?”
GP says: “Yep, roger.” Then updates on other cars.
— Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1) June 30, 2023
Smith also notes that Magnussen had his eventual lap time deleted due to exceeding track limits.
Penalties for impeding have been handed out post-qualifying at two different races. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was hit with a three-place grid penalty at the Monaco Grand Prix, when he was found to have unnecessarily impeded Lando Norris in the track’s tunnel section.
Then ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Leclerc’s Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. was hit with a three-place penalty of his own for impeding Pierre Gasly.
Traffic issues were a theme during Thursday’s press conferences as drivers such as Fernando Alonso and George Russell offered some ideas on how F1 can improve the situation. Suggestions ranged from technological data being made available to drivers real-time, as well as the return of one-shot qualifying.
As for now, we will await word on a potential penalty for Verstappen, if any.
This post will be updated as information becomes available.
