It may have been almost two months since the Austrian Grand Prix but the debate as to whether Max Verstappen should have been given a penalty for pushing Charles Leclerc off the track rumbles on. Christian Horner believes there should never have been any doubt despite a lengthy post-race review from the stewards.
Max Verstappen won the race at the Red Bull Ring but only after a dramatic late overtake on Charles Leclerc which saw the Ferrari man forced off the track. Leclerc appeared on for a maiden F1 win but as his tyres degraded Verstappen was able to catch him and overtake in a dramatic conclusion to the race.
Hours after the race the stewards decided not to punish the Dutchman for forcing Leclerc off the track and Christian Horner believes had they penalised the Red Bull driver it would not have been good for the sport.
“Of course, you never know which way the stewards are going to go but to me it was so clear cut. [For] every driver from karting upwards, it would have moved away from every single principle of racing," Horner told Motorsport.com.
“In a move like that, the door was left open, Max was slightly ahead at the apex and from an onboard [camera perspective] it was up to him to dictate the corner. For me, there should never have been any doubt, but obviously the stewards had to have a good look at it.”
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