Max Verstappen was handed a five-second time penalty after he shoved Charles Leclerc off the track at the opening corner of the first lap of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The reigning world champion was starting from second on the grid having qualified in third place with Carlos Sainz’s ten-place grid penalty relegating him down to 12th place for the race start.
When the lights went out for the first-ever Las Vegas GP it was Verstappen who got the better start, edging closer in the second phase of the launch to prime him for an attack into turn one.
Leclerc was still ahead at the apex but Verstappen attempted an ambitious dive down the inside, missing the racing line and pushing both drivers off the track. When they emerged back within track limits it was the Dutchman who was ahead.
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Leclerc was furious with his rival after the incident, dialling into the team radio to demand immediate action from the stewards. They began investigating soon after, although Verstappen was allowed the keep the position under virtual safety car conditions.
When they did eventually assess the incident, they decided on a five-second time penalty, placing Verstappen’s chances of beating Leclerc to the race win in jeopardy.
Race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase came over the radio to inform his driver, stating: “You have been given a five-second time penalty for that incident, but you’re already two seconds ahead so we just keep seeking that gap out to the stop.”
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Verstappen was less than impressed with the decision, replying to his race engineer by stating: “Yeah that’s fine, send them my regards.”
Most watching expected Verstappen to disappear off into the distance in the free air, but as the laps ticked down the reigning world champion failed to stretch his advantage beyond two seconds.
Leclerc soon managed to close in before taking the lead on the track on lap 16. Verstappen came in at the end of the lap to serve his penalty, feeding him back out into traffic. The Ferrari driver, meanwhile, stayed out to attempt the overcut.
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