Verstappen escaped the penalty by a hair, with a genius move

Max Verstappen crossed the finish line of the Australian GP in first position. He did so after risking that victory by a few centimetres, with cold blood worthy of the champion that he is.

The Dutch driver looked poorly placed in the first starting position in the last standing start which took place in Melbourne with two laps to go before the end of the event, after a red flag caused by the loss of a tire from magnussen. But not. The regulation is clear, it indicates that the wheels cannot go beyond the white line of the box that limits their starting position. If the wheel touches the line, it is considered in position. And Max went to the limit of regulation.

He did this, judging by the images, completely deliberately to maximize his chances of maintaining the first position against Hamilton at that start. He stopped for the first time and moved forward enough again to get his wheels over the white line to defend Lewis. He played it. He is smart and he is brave. So does Verstappen. Up to the limit.

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If he misjudges his position and crosses the white line, Max receives a 5 second penalty. That, in a race that ended behind the ‘Safety Car’, with the compact group of cars, would take him to occupy 7th place. This could give the victory to Lewis Hamilton, the second position to Alonso, the podium to Haas de Hülkenberg and the leadership of the Pérez World Championship. The stakes are high. But he didn’t care. He takes control of the situation with great courage and none of that happens.

It should be remembered that the FIA ​​imposed two penalties for something similar in the first two races. it happened in Esteban Ocon on the first date of Bahrain, with a 5 second penalty. Also in Fernando Alonso in the second race of the year for being located outside the starting box with one of its wheels, but not leading. That resulted in a 5 second penalty for the Spaniard. But Max didn’t break the rules. Its wheels touched the line.