Max Verstappen vs Liam Lawson: same mistake, different penalties spark FIA controversy. Verstappen and Lawson committed the same infraction at the Saudi Arabian GP but received different penalties.

Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson committed the same infraction at the Saudi Arabian GP but received different penalties. As has happened at times in the past, the FIA is back with its double standards: why were there two different sanctions? And what criteria were used to reach this decision?

Both were penalized for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in Turn 2. In Max Verstappen’s case, Oscar Piastri was involved, with the Dutchman accusing him of not leaving enough space. For this maneuver, the four-time world champion received a 5-second penalty, served later during his pit stop.

At the end of the race, Christian Horner challenged the FIA’s decision, even bringing visual evidence to support his claim.

A completely different outcome for Liam Lawson. Despite committing the same infraction when he cut Turn 1 to overtake Jack Doohan in the Alpine, the Racing Bulls driver received a 10-second penalty, which compromised his race. The FIA’s decision came on lap 41, preventing the New Zealander from mitigating the penalty with only a few laps remaining in the race.

Liam Lawson crossed the finish line in eleventh place, more than 8 seconds behind Fernando Alonso, and thus dropped to twelfth due to the penalty. Had he received the same penalty as Max Verstappen, the former Red Bull driver would have finished the race in P11.

Verstappen was, in a way, “spared”: had he received a penalty as harsh as Liam Lawson’s, he likely would have dropped to third place, as he crossed the line just over 5 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc.

Verstappen and Lawson: why two different penalties?
In such cases, the regulations prescribe a standard 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage. The race stewards deemed Verstappen’s case to be a “circumstance”: it was the first lap and the overtake was made at the first corner. That’s why the 5-second penalty, according to the FIA document.

At the end of the Grand Prix, the Dutchman appeared visibly frustrated with the sanction. Without it, he might have even taken the win.