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FIA president Jean Todt says that Max Verstappen's public service work could involve working with race stewards. Verstappen was ordered to do two days of work following his altercation with Esteban Ocon at the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Verstappen pushed the Frenchman several times post-race after the two came together on the circuit. Ocon was attempting to unlap himself from Verstappen, who was leading the race, however had to settle for second after Lewis Hamilton past him following the contact.
Verstappen was investigated and was handed two days of public service work. At the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend, he stated that he had not yet been told what his work would involve, but that he wouldn't look like an idiot doing it.
Todt says that Verstappen's work should be supportive to the F1 world: "When you have these kinds of exposures, this kind of fame, it gives you also responsibilities,” said Todt. “So it means that whatever your emotions you must be able to control them. And to respect your supporters, to respect your word.
“If not you have some consequences. But I will say the consequences finally are quite small. Rightly so. What’ll it be, honestly nothing has been decided. But clearly it has to be something that will be supportive to the Formula 1 world, supportive to the racing world.
“Maybe a contribution to work closer with some stewards or some officials during some training, during some education groups. We have different things which are going to happen next year.
“Maybe participate [in] a group panel of stewards in another category of motorsport to put yourself in the other side and understand that it’s not always easy. But I’m sure we’ll find some constructive programmes.”
Grand Prix of Belgium
G. Zhou
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Replies (7)
Login to replyRogerF1
Posts: 501
? this will be part of Hammy’s race strategy for the opening 2019 GP. Max will have to serve it on race day.
f1dave
Posts: 782
So not "public service". What a joke!
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Did anyone expect anything else? And to think some Max fans were fuming when he was to face some "punishment".
sadosalo
Posts: 198
Cudos to Jean Todt to normalize this tiny incident, as by the purpose to irritate the over the top smiling Ocon, c'mon any man would have punched him, Max just pushed the pussy. F1 is boring as it is without Max, a little shaken up cant hurt the usual procession
boudy
Posts: 1,168
Still find that this should have been handled better by the FIA. Not winning the race was punishment enough. Ocon deserved much more and if he was in a different category he would have had his comeuppance. The little wry smile when he faced Verstappen said it all. Ocon definitely deserved that Mercedes seat for what he did.
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
Ocon got penalized for his on track actions by getting penalty points. He got away without a grid penalty, which I could kinda see as appropriate, but he got penalized for his on track actions. Max did this off-track, and so it would be silly to penalize him on track for off track stuff. Off-track is off limits for the FIA. And this Dumbledore level of penalty is really just negligible.
Bhurt
Posts: 320
Yeah. Doing ordinary people's work for a couple of days is real punishment.