Helmut Marko makes his feelings known about Max Verstappen's 5-second penalty at the F1 Saudi Arabian GP

Helmut Marko has shared his thoughts on the five-second penalty handed to Max Verstappen during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Dutch driver was penalized following a lap-one incident involving Oscar Piastri.

The Red Bull Racing driver, who had qualified for the Grand Prix in pole position, was side by side with Piastri going into Turn 1 at the start of the race. In what can arguably be called an attempt to avoid a collision, Verstappen took to the run-off area, rejoining the track ahead of the McLaren driver and thereby gaining an advantage.

The incident was quickly noted by race control, who wasted little time in passing it on to the stewards. In delivering their judgment, the stewards opted for a five-second penalty for Max Verstappen, much to the dismay of Marko. The Red Bull head of the driver development programme did not hold back his thoughts on the incident following the conclusion of the race.

Sharing his views with the media via RacingNews365NL, the 81-year-old explained that the stewards' decision cost the Austrian team the race. Marko also described the penalty as somewhat harsh.

“We lost the race at the start. On the one hand—where should Max have gone? We've seen Formula 2 races where the same thing happened with two or three drivers. They got a warning. So five seconds is a bit harsh (translated from Dutch)

I see it more as a racing incident. At the beginning, Piastri was in the lead, but at the final braking zone, Max [Verstappen] took over again. It is what it is. The speed was okay, and the tire wear was also positive. You could also see that overtaking is incredibly difficult. After we got this penalty, we just wanted to bring the car home and take second place.”

The five-second penalty appeared to be the ultimate factor that cost Max Verstappen the race, as he lost the lead while serving it in the pit box. The Dutch driver finished the Saudi Grand Prix in second place, 2.843 seconds behind Oscar Piastri.

McLaren chief offers opinion on Max Verstappen’s penalty

Zak Brown and Oscar Piastri during the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia - Source: Getty

McLaren CEO Zak Brown shared his opinion on Max Verstappen’s penalty incident with Oscar Piastri. The Woking-based team chief described the judgment of the racing stewards as appropriate.

Brown stated that Piastri was ahead going into the first corner of the circuit and that it would have been appropriate for Verstappen to concede the position to the #81 driver, rather than gaining an advantage off the track. Speaking to the media, the 53-year-old stated:

"I definitely thought a penalty was deserved. Oscar was clearly up the inside, got a better start and you need to use the racetrack," he said via Sky F1 (as reported by racingnews365)

"Whether it's a five-second penalty or give the position back, I think you can go either way. So I thought it was definitely appropriate. It was Oscar's corner, and at some point, you've got to just concede."

The penalty decision continues to dominate discussion as the biggest talking point from the race at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. While those from the McLaren team see it as a justified call, their counterparts on the Red Bull team have continued to voice their frustration with the stewards’ decision. Max Verstappen himself opted not to comment on the incident when quizzed about it during the post-race interview.